The Vegeta Chronicles
by Demod20
Summary: What if Vegeta was the hero who killed Cell at his most powerful? What if 17 & 18 were given bigger roles in future Arcs? What if Tien Shinhan and other long forgotten characters were suddenly important? This is the series in which those characters get those big roles, and where the DBZ series is retold through their eyes and their perspective. This is...the Vegeta Chronicles!
1. Breaking Point

**THE VEGETA CHRONCILES**

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**Chapter 1 - The Breaking Point!**

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Vegeta couldn't believe his eyes. A feat that has been done time and again throughout his life as of recently, but continues to be amazed none-the-less. While at first, it had been nothing more than denial and pride that blinded him to the truth that astounded him, now it was clear he couldn't deny it any longer: Gohan is the strongest of the Saiyan race.

The boy brimmed with power, so much so that his already golden hair raised up into a sharpened vertical angle, and electricity crackled from his being by assuming this legendary state. An ascended Saiyan, a Super Saiyan 2, whatever the title, he currently claimed the Earth's best hope of defeating the terrifying force standing before all of them.

"Hold still, insolent child!" The voice of the menacing android, Cell, shouted as he would fling his fists with rapid one-two thrusts, aiming to strike the fragile boy just once to claim victory. But it was all in vain, as each fist would only find the air, but his eyes would never leave Gohan's. The righteous-filled anger filled within the piercing emerald eyes, glaring at him, while simultaneously mocking him, "RRRRGH!"

With a overhead smash with both of his fists, Cell struck the ground with a quake-equivalent blow that projected a pressurized gale from the position he intended to hit Gohan at. Even at a good twenty meters distance, winds singed the eyesight of all observers, causing Vegeta in particular to throw his arm up for protection, while hiding a scowl behind his frustrated visage.

"_How?! How can a mere child...not even a pure Saiyan at that...attain this level of power?!_" Vegeta thought with gritting teeth, wondering how himself and not even Kakarot could master a power that should've been theirs and theirs alone, "_is it...is it because that he's the son of Kakarot? Or...is it something else...that grants him this amazing potential?!_"

As Vegeta continued to be baffled, his son Trunks, couldn't help but express his own thoughts of disbelief, "Incredible! Gohan is stronger...way stronger...than the one that mentored me in the future!"

"_Even my son can't deny the gap in power between him and us_," Vegeta thought with frustration, balling his fists as he retracted his arm to watch the fight once more, still in awe of what he was witnessing.

"I told you, Cell," Gohan began speaking in a reprimanding tone, filled with bitterness and anger within his voice, "I warned you not to release my power. Yet you did it anyway. You had to push me, didn't you?"

"S-Shut up!" Cell growled out, his body brimming with yellow energy, causing billowing winds in his wake. His face stretched out to comical proportions, and his body began to bulk up, causing him to grow in immense proportions as his overall energy output skyrocketed. No longer a physically fit, camo-colored bio-android, but a hulking monster with brimming power and brimming anger flowing through his mind to crush the boy.

Trunks immediately recognized the form as a similar one to his own Ultra Saiyan form, "He's lost it! He's trading his speed for more physical power."

_WHAM-WHAM-WHAM!_

One strike after another, Cell's arms swung to catch the small pre-teen boy with just one strike and demolish his form. But just as before, no, even with greater ease, Gohan began hopping and side-stepping away from Cell's every move. Each fist would only crack the earth around him with great impact or billow the air with every movement.

Vegeta saw the look within the monster's eyes. It faintly reminded a look of desperation he once held: Confusion, Pride in one's abilities to the point of blinding yourself to your weakness, and Purely Unadulterated Rage harnessed to destroy a force much stronger than yourself. It pained him so, how much alike Cell was to himself...right down to his basest flaws.

"Damn you, Cell! You played me as you played everyone...as fools!" He gritted his teeth as he lowly growled aloud, his fists crackling audibly under the pressure of the frustration passively ebbing from his being.

It was at this point that Vegeta could also see another point of familiarity between himself and another, but not of Cell. Gohan, the supposed pacifist, now overflowing with the power of his Super Saiyan 2 had a sadism to him. Ever since he gained the power, he had been playing with him, as he did when he assumed the Ascended Saiyan form. Vegeta for once couldn't help but now understand the risk of letting his own power go to his head...letting his pride get the better of him. He could only hope that the boy would finish the job before the monster could recollect himself for another potent strategy.

But then, something else happened...

**WHAM!**

"URK!" Cell gurgled, as a mighty kick from Gohan directly into his solarplex caused him to keel over and fall to his knees. Backing up a few feet, Gohan observed the once mighty and conceited being gasp in pain, holding its gut as if its entire being was on fire. The next event that followed was even more bizarre to everyone's eyes.

"Ugh! Blgh! BL! BLAAAAAARGH!" Cell heaved, with great effort and strain, but finally he couldn't hold it back and regurgitated something out of his mouth. Within a pool of sickly transparent fluids, a blonde teenaged girl was dumped upon the rocky earth, with barely any form of her chosen attire still attached to her physical tissue.

"I-I-Its 18!" Krillin shouted aloud, his eyes going wide with awe and shock, thinking for sure she had been killed through the absorbtion process. And yet, she was whole, seemingly unharmed save for her garments being partially dissolved. This sight briefly caused Krilling to blush, before shaking his head, focusing on the perpetrator behind her condition to continue convulsing.

"Look! He's changing!" Piccolo called out, sweating bullets as he recognized the form he was reverting to.

It was a form Vegeta knew all too well. The form that he dominated with ease within the Ascended Saiyan form, his Super Form, as he called it. It was the Semi-Perfect form, much to the monster that was Cell's chagrin!

"N-No!" Reaching up to his face, the bio-android sweated with fear as he realized his perfect form had just been lost to him. Reaching out with a coughing mouth, his hands barely hovered over 18's fragile frame, as if somehow believing he could absorb her again to make her whole.

"Don't you touch her!" Krillin shouted out, despite it being a futile gesture, it conveyed his unwillingness to allow such a beautiful woman to be used so callously again.

However, Cell wouldn't have a chance, as the monster looked over at Gohan, still brimming with energy stood in his way from preforming the delicate procedure. All was lost for him. Stepping back, he began to fumble backwards as the Saiyan-Human hybrid marched slowly towards him, reveling inwardly at the fear and hopelessness that Cell held deep within his heart that he was completely outmatched. Not only by Gohan, but by nearly every fighter assembled before him. It would be suicide to try and run. His purpose, his plan, his future...was now lost to him.

"GOHAN! FINISH HIM! YOU HAVE TO DO IT NOW!" Goku finally renewed his pleas to his son, knowing he couldn't physically stop him after much verbally imploring.

Vegeta looked over at his rival's look of desperation. The shouts, he knew bitterly, wouldn't reach the boy. Retracting his gaze to the boy's back, the boy had no intention of halting his advance nor keep from using the most painful and humiliating methods to debase Cell further. His pride and his anger had clouded his mind from all thoughts of finishing it quickly.

But...something else happened to keep it from dragging it out...

"NO!" Cell finally had enough. His body began steaming, and his skin began to bulge, as veins protruded from all sides from around him. Throwing his arms out, Cell's body began to comically bulge and a crazed look crossed his degenerated face, his voice now deeper and more debased familiar to his Semi-Perfect form, but gargled from the damage he took, "IF I'M GOING DOWN...I'M TAKING THE WHOLE PLANET WITH ME! IN JUST THIRTY SECONDS, MY WHOLE BODY WILL TURN INTO A BOMB THAT WILL KILL YOU ALL!"

Gohan, and those behind him, heard the android's insane cries, and realized by the sudden shift in mass and energy output, that Cell was not bluffing.

Taking a step forward, the half Saiyan cried out, "Not if I can help it!"

"NOT SO FAST! ONE SMALL TOUCH COULD CAUSE ME TO POP, AND BOOM! THERE GOES YOUR PLANET! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Cell inflated even further, becoming astronomically larger as energy swelled beneath his skin, making his interior more and more volatile as he prepared to take everyone down who ever opposed him.

"T-This cannot be!" Vegeta cried out, realizing how futile it really was to escape death now. No physical force could move the creature in time, and killing it with energy would be impossible without setting the bomb within its body off early, "we're all...going...to die?!"

"15 SECONDS LEFT! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Not if I can help it," a voice declared bravely that only his friends and arch rival would know. This voice would haunt Vegeta, as he saw him dash forward with deft speed and arrive just before Cell with a assured expression before turning to face Gohan. Vegeta, barely making out the words over the billowing energy perspiring from Cell, heard, "I'm proud of you, son. Take care of Earth while I'm gone..."

"D-Dad!"

"W-W-WAIT! GOKU?! WHAT ARE YOU DO-?!"

SHHHHFT!

And within a simple touch to the surface of Cell's bulbous body and a whizzing motion, Goku preformed Instant Transmission, taking them far away, to die together on a distant planet far away from Earth.

"K-Kakarot?!" Vegeta, having hardly believed it just now, selflessly sacrificed himself just now, to take the blast, Cell, and himself with him so the rest could be spared. While the others more proximate to him, including his son, could only spare faint gasps and shouts of shock and horror, Gohan had a more reasonable outburst to the traumatic experience.

"DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!" With a ringing shout that pierced the air, the boy lost himself to his grief and regained his senses. Falling to his knees, Gohan reverted to a simple Super Saiyan state, as his aura of rage and sadism dimmed as the electricity projected from his being had. With tears running down his face, Gohan felt guilt clench at his chest. He could have stopped Cell, and he let him kill his father. It was all his fault!

"Goku sacrificed himself in the end...he really is a true hero," Trunks spoke in a sage tone, staring up into the sky, despite his own fists being balled up with pent-up frustration, "in the end, none of us could do anything. Not even I, who tried to save this past, so I could find a way to save my future."

"Don't blame yourself, Trunks," Vegeta growled out, though partially in empathy, as he glared at the spot his goal of surpassing had just disappeared from, "it was Kakarot's foolhardiness that caused him to die, and it was his son's arrogance that Cell was able to come up with one last trick up his sleeve. Not like I could've done better..."

"Father," Trunks turned to place a hand on his father's shoulder, speaking to him softly, "I am-"

SHFT-SHRRRRRRRRK!

"-guk?!"

It was at this point, Vegeta's already pent-up emotional state dropped to a flat line. With a sudden flashing movement from above in the sky, a vibrant scarlet-whtie colored beam discharged from the heavens and blasted downwards. Only, it met flesh and armor before meeting the ground behind its chosen target.

"T-T-Trunks?!" Vegeta turned around to see his son's chest pierced and his body already falling to the ground heavily. His eyes faded to whites, and it appeared as if he was struck at a vital spot, much like how he was struck by Freeza. All Vegeta could do was gasp, and drop to his knees, barely making out out the periphery of Cell's glistening form.

"Oh, so I got someone? Yes, it was Trunks, wasn't it? Ha! The foolish boy should have stayed in the future where he belonged, instead of butting in where he doesn't belong," the voice of Cell, more matching his Perfect Form's appearance, with only a touch of manic sadism as his body projected a thick aura of crackling lightning around his body.

"B-But how?!" Krillin shouted out, having reached 18's form and cradled her in his arms limply, realizing that Cell was back to his full power, and much more, from appearances of his aura.

"Surprised?! I was too, until I realized that a fraction of my being remained intact from my explosion. My Saiyan Cells apparently remembered my Perfect Form, and transcended beyond that! I am now as powerful, no, much more powerful than you are," smiling with a toothy grin, his eyes widened a fraction with clear anger-filled madness behind it, "Gohan!"

Gohan got back up to his feet, his eyes glaring heatedly, even through the tears that burned his eyes. How many more was this monster going to take?! With a lung-filled scream, Gohan ascends back into his Super Saiyan 2 form, his body crackling with energy once more, readying himself into a ready stance.

"Things won't be the same, Gohan. Just you wait-"

**BA-BUM!**

"Trunks...ngh...I...gr...," Vegeta tried to hold his son's lifeless body, even as the blood coughed up from his throat, he could hear the heartbeat of his child slowly fade to nothing. His mind went numb, and his skin lit aflame, "GRRR! NGH! HRRRRR!" Vegeta's eyes went blank with rage, as his consciousness seemed to blank out, while on the outside, his teeth ground with audible ferocity and his voice garbled out inaudible rage-filled mutterings.

**BA-BUM!**

"_I can't stand this...any longer_...!"

**BA-BUM!**

"_This is the end of the line! I will end this!_"

**BA-BUM!**

"_Not just for myself any longer...but...but for...!"_

**BA-BUM!**

"_But for my son's sake! For Kakarot's child's sake! For this damned planet's sake!_"

**BA-BUM!**

"_I WILL PUT AN END TO THIS, ONCE, AND FOR ALL!_"

"_**RRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!**_" Vegeta howled out, as his body contorted and shifted in power yield dramatically, even as his knees buckled from lying next to his son's body, holding him close as he shouted with unadulterated rage. Those who were once near him backed away slowly, and both Gohan and Cell drew their eyes with wonder and astonishment.

"N-No way!" Gohan breathed out, gasping as he saw what he knew everyone was seeing.

"V-Vegeta?!" Cell gasped aloud as well, not realizing that Vegeta had any will or strength left to raise his power. And it kept growing!

Vegeta's body began to heighten to pass its previous limitations, but without changing his physique. His muscles projected spasms that contorted into electrical currents that sparked the air, his hair standing upright and a bit more on edge, and his visage hardened into a focused, assured glare. As he set his son's body down, Vegeta's mind came to the present, and allowed him to face the oppressor of his and everybody's lives: Cell.

"Cell," he spoke out in a level growl, as his body contorted with the aura similar to Gohan and the Android's aura, but had a tinge more focus and anger behind it, "we're going to settle what was once started between us. You, and me, right now."

Cell momentarily paused. At first, when he arrived, he was confident in his newfound powers as the perfect killing machine. He knew he had raised his powers up to match Gohan's, and possibly surpass them. But Vegeta? He hadn't anticipated the proud, selfish Saiyan to break his limited forms and transcend into Gohan's state.

Where the child was a pacifist that could stand toe-to-toe with him, he could barely match him in his previous form. With a battle-hardend genius like Vegeta, could he possibly?

"Cell..."

Cell briefly heard Vegeta's voice ring out again, but with the same impatience as before. As he returned his glare with a haughty smile, he countered, "I don't think you're in a position to make demands, Vegeta. I'll get to you in due time, as soon as I finish things here with Gohan-"

_WHIZ_-**WHAM!**

"-NNNgh?!"

Cell had tried to continue, but found his gut being thoroughly slammed inwards by a familiar fist. Looking downwards, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of deja vu, as Vegeta's eyes flashed upwards to the taller being that the Android was. Despite his newfound powers...he could definitely feel that punch!

"_That _was for the humiliation you put me through before, and defiling my pride as a Saiyan warrior," Vegeta growled out with satisfaction, retracting his fist, but standing back long enough for Cell to recover.

"Why you-!"

Cell snarled, as he hastily swung out one fist for a right hook, nicking Vegeta across the cheek before following up with another to strike his left jaw, causing Vegeta to stumble back a step. Continuing upon his rampage, Cell swung around a roundhouse kick to Vegeta's gut, causing him to slide across the earthen ground, leaving a considerable trench behind. Seeing the spasms from the strikes visibly, Cell flew confidently to throw a third punch aiming to strike his skull.

_SNATCH!_

"What?!" But Cell would find his punch stopped dead in its tracks, despite the crackling aura wrapped around the extended forearm.

Vegeta clenched tightly upon Cell's fist, his aura blazing to almost blinding levels, as his face returned to glare back at Cell's outraged and surprised face. As bones could be heard snapping under the force Vegeta placed against the knuckles of the Android's hand, he could hear muffled grunts of pain, before Vegeta stated aloud, "And this..."

**WHAM!**

"Was for taking away Kakarot's life!" Vegeta followed up with a powerful left punch directly into Cell's face, hearing bone snap as blood would spurt from the contact, even as the full force of Vegeta's punch would send him flying across the air, spinning like a corkscrew before slamming into a distant series of boulders with a mighty crash.

"Taking away my aspiration of proving to everyone that I, Vegeta, was the most powerful warrior, especially to the likes of that foolish hero...destroying that dream...was not yours to take, Cell!" Vegeta lifted his left blood-soaked glove in emphasis, even as his own blood dripped from his battered face from Cell's strikes.

Gohan and the others could only watch in amazement, not realizing how much of an impact Trunks death had upon Vegeta. The passion, the vigor, and most importantly...the rage was filled with sincerity that wouldn't have been spoken at any other time beforehand. At this moment, for the first time, Gohan felt admiration towards the usually rude and violent Saiyan.

"And this..."

Raising his arms to either side, his body screamed with energy, as a powerful yellow aura lit aflame and lightning cracked and kicked up slabs of the landscapes for dozens of meters around, causing all those behind him to get back with nervous compulsion to take cover. Knowing all too well the signature technique, Krillin rushed with Android 18 in his arms, to get behind the nearest set of boulders for cover from the billowing winds.

"...most importantly..."

Cell began to get up, grabbing his face as he felt burning pain blind his vision, and barely make out the sparking and rage-projecting form that was Vegeta. Once again, he felt an inherent sense of fear. His hand reached up with a sign of two forefingers to touch his forehead, despite sweating bullets in the face of this familiar force that was preparing to be unleashed. But with all the maddened fury that had previously burned within him, as well as the contrasting fear rising to the surface...he couldn't find the will to focus...focus to escape death...

"..._**THIS IS FOR KILLING MY SON, YOU BASTAAAAAAAAARD!**_"

And within that moment, Cell's eyes were blinded, and his life would flash, literally, before them.

"**FINAL FLASH!**"

_**VLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!**_

Even as he struggled to maintain his form, the yellow streak of energy engulfed him much faster and with far more potency than before. His scream would be deafened by the sheer roar of force as the yellow beam of destructive energy careened across the landscape, kicking up thick slabs of landscape for miles on end. His plating, his skin, his bones, all began to be disassembled at a painful rate, causing him garble out in a desperate yell of promise,

"I'll...BE...BA...ck...grk...!"

And within a few moments of being exposed to the powered up death beam, the Android's remains were reduced to nothing, with not a single cell among the waste for him to regenerate from. As Vegeta breathed out, he couldn't help but drop to his knees, completely drained from expending his energy into the last attack.

As Vegeta's frame was about to hit the ground, Gohan's form raced to catch him, stopping the de-powering black haired Saiyan from hitting the earth outright. Out of respect and honor of Vegeta's testament of saving the world, rather than showing off his power like he had only minutes ago, he would make sure when he would wake up, that he would be reunited with his son once more.

_To be continued...!_

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**A/N: **

This is the start of a DBZ Fanon series in which characters like Vegeta are given more attention and maturation, as well as credit where its due. This isn't a personal Fanfiction in which I say "Goku shouldn't be the main character" but where more of the side characters should've gotten more attention and flourish overtime, instead of being unappreciated and become figments of the background.

Note: Constructive Criticism, Comments, and Ideas are always welcome! However, if for any reason you dislike what you read, please don't leave any comment. No one likes to see that kind of stuff left on hard-worked literature, especially the writer (me) in general. So please, don't.

So tune in next time for the next chapter! I'll make sure to allow at least a week's time before writing the next one out, to better evaluate all given pointers and comments given to this one. Cyah then! ^_^


	2. Revival

**THE VEGETA CHRONICLES**

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**Chapter 2 - Revival**

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_Darkness took him, and Vegeta embraced it. _

_He had become accustomed to it. He knew that by pushing himself to his utmost limitations, he would risk being submerged into the darkness once more. While Vegeta bathed in the light-less ocean of space within his subconsciousness, he was vulnerable. His most sought after goals would warp into twisted nightmares, taunting him, telling him how weak and pathetic he was for not being able to attain the strength that was rightfully his. _

This _time, however, Vegeta felt at peace. Instead of the unapproachable forces that took the shape of his rival, Kakarot, and all of his enemies who were beyond his reach or bested him, he saw and felt nothing. For once, his mind was at ease, if even for a few blissful moments. _

_Then...as rapidly as he descended into the darkness, he awoke to the light, slowly easing into it, trepidating of what he might find when his eyes opened. _

"I CANNOT GRANT THY WISH!"

"H-Huh?" Vegeta's eyes opened, blinking several times over, noticing that a eery glow came over his periphery vision. His body felt sore, exhausted, but his senses told him he had been healed from prior wounds sustained to him by Cell.

Struggling with effort, he would find his eyes aghast as he witnessed the manifested image of the one thing he had craved in his earlier, foolish years: The Eternal Dragon.

"I AWAIT THY SECOND WISH!" The voice of the majestic, intimidating emerald wishing dragon spoke, as it peered down upon the gathering of the Z Warriors.

"W-Wish?" Vegeta couldn't help but suddenly realized his surroundings. He was on-top of the Lookout, the Namekian Piccolo's base within the heavens above the Earth. As he stood up, he noted one thing in particular that stood out from the confused bunch of Earthlings: His son, standing there alive, right next to his side, "T-Trunks?!"

"Dad! You're awake!" Trunks couldn't help but grasp Vegeta by the shoulder with a smile on his face. Having known the kind of man he was, he knew better than to give such a dignified warrior a hug, "I heard from Gohan that you were the one who beat Cell!"

"Nevermind about that, son!" Vegeta waved off Trunks excited reverie over merely an hour's past events, despite even the great Saiyan prince not knowing precisely how much time has elapsed since his mind dove into unconsciousness. Pointing up at the Dragon, he asked Trunks in a demanding tone, "What's going on?! Why is the blasted Earth Dragon summoned?!"

"They used one of the wishes to bring back all of the good people who died because of Cell," Trunks spoke matter-of-fact, trying to contain his excitement of how they overcame their nemesis by the skin of their teeth.

Vegeta looked side to side, seeing from the corner of his eye the female Android watching from behind one of the structures of the Lookout. Knowing how outclassed she was in comparison to himself and the majority gathered, Vegeta paid her no mind. As he looked over to the others, he caught tidbits of their conversation that he found most interesting, despite the idiotic banter they've been known to project.

"Well, Shenron can't bring back someone who's already died and been resurrected by the Dragon Balls. So I guess it really is hopeless," Yamcha grimaced aloud.

Tien Shinhan looked down with a solemn expression, as he knew there was probably no hope of bringing the lovable hero back to life again.

"There's nothing we can do about it," Piccolo spoke in a low tone, feeling it was best to admit the truth and forget about it.

Gohan, however, had an idea, "What if we went to Namek and used their Dragon Balls!"

"That could work!" Dende, the current Guardian of Earth and its new keeper of the Dragon Balls, wearing a big smile of assured confidence, "Porunga was the original Eternal Dragon, and he can bring people back to life as many times as you want."

"Alright!" Yamcha pumped his fist, finding renewed hope.

"Honestly, all this trouble over a clown of the Saiyan race!" Vegeta snarled, though as he crossed his arms, he inwardly hope to settle his score with the upstart. Cell interrupted that pleasantry, and he anxiously hoped to get to achieve that goal of his.

"Its settled! We use the next wish to go to Namek!" Gohan spoke aloud with cheer in his voice, anxious to see his father again.

But then, an unexpected voice would enter the collective's minds, deterring that objective.

"_Umm...hey, don't I get a say in this?_" The sheepish toned voice holding a bit of cheer within it was unmistakably the deceased Goku himself.

"Dad!" Gohan called aloud, excited that he could hear his father's voice, even if it was only within his head.

While the other Z Fighters had mixed reactions of astonishment and excitement, Piccolo could only frown as he heard the voice of Goku call out through telepathy.

"_What's the matter, Kakarot?_" Vegeta grinned mockingly as he spoke back with his own mind, "_too afraid to face me in a rematch now that you lost to Cell, are you?_"

"_Well...actually after a lot of thinking, I decided its probably be best if I didn't come back_," Goku's voice, while troubled, was pretty decisive about what he had to say, _"I mean, think about it. Freiza, the Androids, Broly, and Cell...each one of them had a score to settle with me, and it only brought more danger to the Earth. As a baby, I was sent to destroy it, and despite my hardest, my very existence is trying to achieve that goal. So, I decided I shouldn't be brought back to life_-"

"Kakarot! That's Bullshit!" Vegeta, despite wanting to restrain himself, couldn't help but speak aloud in sync with his thoughts, causing all of the Z Fighters, including his son, to cast their eyes upon him as he shouted to the sky, "so, what you're telling me, that all of these enemies were solely after you, and would only stop if you were dead?! You're as conceited as you are dense!"

"_V-Vegeta, I_-" Goku stammered, but couldn't

"No! YOU will listen to me, got it?! If you have the capacity of gaining another chance at life, you better damn well take it! Enemies are always wanting to take this planet, whether you're here or not! Don't be so stupid as to think if you take a trip in the afterlife, that it'll all get better!" Vegeta yelled out with barely restrained wrath within his tone.

"_You don't understand! I'm going to get to keep my body, and I get to meet new people and explore this place! Its going to be great, and a nice change of pace!_" Goku thought aloud in the most convincing voice he could muster, despite the unrelenting attitude Vegeta had.

But he wouldn't be the only one...

"So that's it, then?! You're going to leave mom and I again?! What's the point of having a father around if he always jumps at the opportunity to leave! Why are you leaving when it matters most to me that you're around!" Gohan yelled out, his eyes watering and his voice shaking at the thought of his dad leaving again.

"_Ah, son. I'm sorry but...this is a golden opportunity for me. I might never get a chance like this again_..."

"Wait until you die from old age, that'll be your chance!" Gohan yelled out spitefully, beginning to feel bitter at his dad's poor excuses.

"_Ummm...how can I convince you that it will be alright? Ahhhh...I'm not as good at this than Chi-Chi is_..." Goku spoke in a perplexed tone.

"It may be none of my business, Goku, but I think if you didn't make this your _last adventure_," Trunks spoke aloud for emphasis, as his thoughts traveled into Goku's head, "I know you may feel relaxed about this, since my father defeated Cell, but you're one of Earth's greatest heroes. I can't imagine what this world, in my past, would be like if I left it without you here..."

"_But Trunks, the Earth has new heroes filling the void I'll be leaving behind_," Goku's voice, filled with pride, continued on, "_Vegeta, you put aside your personal feelings and your pride to become the hero I always knew you would become. I believe you will do great things for the Earth that I never could_."

"Hmph! If that's your excuse for not coming back for a rematch, I'm still not convinced!" Vegeta crossed his arms and turned his head to the side with a huff.

Goku sighed, and continued to speak, but directed it to his son next, "_Gohan, you showed the potential to become a powerful warrior, but you lacked the state of mind to control it. I'm sorry I placed that burden upon your shoulders, for I should have trained you to control your anger better instead of placing blind faith that you would keep it together_..."

Sniffling, Gohan couldn't help but bow his head in acknowledgement to his father's words, knowing he wouldn't be swayed now, "I-I know. I'll try to control it, dad. I won't let you down."

"_Ah, cheer up son, and everybody! Who knows? Maybe I'll come back to visit one day, and I'll be ready to return home again!_" Goku tried to say with a cheerful note.

"If they'd allow that, then reviving you would be irrelevent, Goku," Piccolo spoke with a gruff tone, but couldn't help but smile at Goku's cheerful disposition, despite being dead.

"Hey! At least on the bright side, you might let us know from King Kai when you want to drop on by, or keep in touch with us!" Krillin joked, trying to keep the mood lightened up.

"_I'll try not to keep you all waiting, hahahaha!_" Goku laughed light-heartedly, causing some of the Z Fighters to laugh with him, despite the inevitable parting they would make to their good friend, "_oh, and please tell Chi-Chi I won't be coming home for awhile. Tell her that Gohan is now the man of the house, and he'll be making his own decisions from now on!" _

"I doubt that will go over very well," Gohan bowed his head, sweat-dropping from the idea of facing his mother with the bad news.

"Hah! Chi-Chi is going to roll over when she hears about this!" Yamcha laughed aloud.

"Please...don't rub it in," Gohan curled up in a ball on the ground, as a dark comical cloud rolled over his head to emphasize his depression.

"_You'll all do great! I trust you_!" Goku spoke with finality, "_well, my time's up, just wanted to let you know my decision. Goodbye_..."

"Kakarot!" Vegeta began to speak aloud, trying to convey the frustration pent up within his head.

But it was futile. Goku was gone, and he would stay so until he wanted to come back. The weight of the silence, the emptiness that Goku left behind for everyone, was overpowering their thoughts and left them with bouts of nostalgia and fond memories of their fallen friend, comrade, and rival.

"That Goku probably thinks this is another adventure for him to partake in. Hmph, that's just like him to think that way," Piccolo mused.

"Yeah, he's always been like that. So carefree and big-hearted," Yamcha nodded with a contented grin as he looked up into the sky, "despite how quieter its going to be without him, I feel...happy, that he's leaving us on such a good note."

"Right, knowing the Earth is safe if even for a little while makes this feel a bit better, even if Goku's lack of good judgement room for desire," Tien chuckled as he crossed his big arms over his burly chest.

"Yeah, I'm going to miss the guy," Krillin smiled with a cheery tone, as he too looked up into the sky, almost ready to believe Goku would descend from the heavens with a pair of angelic wings. He couldn't think of someone more pure-hearted to deserve such a privilege, despite how much of a fantastical thing it would be for it to occur.

"We all will," Trunks spoke aloud sagely, his feet carrying him over to the depressed Gohan, placing a comforting hand over the boy's head, giving it a good empathetic rub, as he looked over at his father lastly as he finished, "some of us more than others..."

"I won't miss that clown!" Vegeta growled aloud, determined not to show the aggravation of losing his rival, balling his fists in emphasis, "we'll be better off without him! For once, I, Vegeta, will rise to the occasion in which Kakarot couldn't!"

"I'm sure you will, dad," Trunks spoke in an admiring tone, knowing full well of the changes his father had underwent upon Goku's and his own deaths. Smiling, he crossed his arm while looking to him, "and I'll make sure to be here to witness it with my own eyes, before I'm confident enough to go back to the future."

"Ah, so you _do_ want to learn some more from your old man, eh, Trunks?" Vegeta put on a humored expression upon his face, as he crossed his own arms over his chest as he turned to look at his son with pride, "at least you have the right attitude to learn what it is to become a true Saiyan warrior. My _other _student, for certain, will not be so willing to see things from _our _perspective."

"Other student?" Trunks' eyes opened widely, clearly in confusion by what his father was meaning.

"Yes son," Vegeta donned a serious visage, as he began to walk towards his son's right, directly where a very aware Gohan was staring back at Vegeta with understandable curiosity, "though it pains me to admit it, that I'll need to teach some proper Saiyan skills into Kakarot's son. Isn't that right, Gohan?"

It was at this moment, everyone in the Lookout dropped their jaws and looked at Vegeta's direction.

"Vegeta...WANTS...to train...Gohan?!" Krillin blurted out, his eyes bulging and his bald-headed browline already developing cold sweat at the thought of it.

"Well, now I've seen everything!" Yamcha spoke aloud.

"I'd almost believe that, if I hadn't seen what Cell was capable of," Tien concurred with a smirk, crossing his own massive arms over his burly chest as he observed the scene in front of his three eyes.

"_Is he out of his mind?!_" Piccolo's eyes widened in thought, but didn't project his thoughts vocally, knowing just how easily riled up the proud Saiyan prince would be if he heard his disagreement to such a proposal.

Most of all, Gohan himself, knelt agape before the intimidating Saiyan, only able to utter a simple and confused reply, "Y-You want to train me, Vegeta?"

"Yes," Vegeat spoke with a serious tone, straight and to the point.

"B-But why?" Gohan asked.

"Its because, upon you awakening your potential before us all, I understood exactly what I lacked in attaining your power, and with that, I was able to ascend as well. But you also contained my own basest flaws when you fought Cell, with this newly awakened power uncontrolled and unfamiliar to you. You couldn't help but allow your Saiyan blood take over and bury your mind to its deepest recesses. Had this been before Cell's arrival, I would've called you a true Saiyan," Vegeta then stopped briefly, inhaling deeply as his eyes closed, if ever to try and stomach his pride for a few moments yet again, before opening his eyes once more, "but I was wrong. A **True **Saiyan wouldn't fight a mindless battle and enjoy basking in the pain of someone so inferior to them. No. Those are the thoughts of a brute, a barbarian unworthy of holding true Saiyan pride!"

"Dad," Trunks felt his eyes slightly water, as pride of seeing his father grow with such maturity filled his chest. But he held back his tears, and allowed a grin to form on his face none-the-less, truly delighted to hear what his father had to say to Gohan.

Kneeling down to one knee, Vegeta grabbed Gohan's shoulders as his eyes looked at him with level eyes. When he spoke to Gohan, it was not as an adult to a child, but as one man to another, "You, unlike your father, have the potential of being the strongest of our race. With my guidance in harnessing this new-found power, and keeping it tempered, never letting it get dull, you could be the herald of our race's new generation. You could hold true to your ideals while retaining **True **Saiyan honor and strength," standing to his feet once more, he raised a right cocked hand offering to Gohan, while donning his trademark smirk, "but, do you have the resolve and the desire to keep this strength you sacrificed and worked so hard to attain, son of Kakarot? Do you have what it takes to endure training that would freeze over the flames of Hell, and then unleash that fury upon those that would rob you of your dreams?"

Gohan stayed adamantly silent throughout Vegeta's speech. He was, to say the least, dumbfounded that Vegeta's experience at the end of the Cell Games would change his opinion of himself and what he thought about Saiyan honor.

After a deafening silence and aching amount of time passed, Gohan looked into Vegeta's eyes, with a confident smile, as his young hand reached up and clasped Vegeta's in affirmation to Vegeta's request, "I'd be honored to train under you, Vegeta."

However, the heartwarming and proud moment wouldn't last but for a few moments.

"AHEM!" Shenron cleared his throat with a loud tone, filling the air with remembrance of his presence, and a reminder that the entire Earth was bathed in darkness with him as its only light source at the moment. With all eyes turning back to the Dragon, one could see a culmination of comically gathered sweat drops upon its brow line, "AREN'T YOU GOING TO MAKE A SECOND WISH?! I DON'T HAVE ALL DAY-"

"Dragon!" Vegeta, having been rudely thrust out of his sentimental reverie, quickly shouted with anger as he shook his fist at the enormous magical entity, "don't you dare interrupt me, or I'll CRUSH your BALLS!"

With that, everyone couldn't help but release a much needed burst of laughter at Vegeta's joke, despite it being all too a serious threat for him.

For once, since the bad news given to them by Goku's indefinite absence from them, things were starting to look up.

* * *

The journey to Chi-Chi's house to ensure the indefinite future of Gohan's training that could occur was an awkward one. Despite the determination and sincere tone Vegeta had in training with better focus with his son, but with Gohan, they had yet to determine how to persuade the recently widowed woman.

Not only would she had to recieve the news of Goku's insistance on traversing Other World as if it was a vacation, but she would be robbed of her son's time in being tutored by her and would have even more Martial Arts training of which she explicitly asked her husband not to allow upon the end of the Android crisis.

While Gohan remained silent, Trunks began to think aloud in various ways they could break the news in a way that would be better for Chi-Chi to allow Gohan to train with Vegeta.

Vegeta on the other hand was very set upon how he would bring this promising Saiyan-hybrid to the level needed of a true Saiyan warrior.

"Father, I know you might not like hearing this from me, but we need to be careful how we break this to Chi-Chi," Trunks implored, as the white-blue aura of ki wrapped around him, allowing him to fly at break neck speeds along with the other similar aura-enraptured Saiyans, "I'd rather not have us leave her house with a bad note."

"Hah! You may be too timid to handle Kakarot's woman, but clearly you lack the experience that your father has in handling emotionally unstable women like your mother!" Vegeta crowed, a confident smirk donned upon his face as he continued to travel with a fearless expression upon his face.

"Is that why you and mom yell so often?" Trunks asked with a humored grin on his face.

"I don't know where you get that idea!" Vegeta crossed his arms, his grin falling short into a frown at his son's insightful observation, "we're the embodiment of true Saiyan romance!"

"Out of curiosity, what's the rate of divorce for Saiyans in general?" Gohan asked with a snicker of his own.

"Fine! Bulma is impossible to deal with! But it still doesn't mean I can't handle Kakarot's whimsical mate! How bad could the wife of that clown be?!" Vegeta growled out with renewed vigor, clenching his fists in emphasis of the upcoming verbal battle with Chi-Chi.

Gohan's eyes rolled as he used a free hand to facepalm, "You obviously don't know my mom very well..."

After their conversation ended, they found themselves flying overhead the said house, still holding its cheery appearance and peaceful scenery within the middle of the wilderness.

As the trio of Saiyan warriors, on full-blooded and two hybrids, let loose their auras, they slowly descended safely to the ground just outside of the front door of the residence of Chi-Chi and the late Son Goku. It was unfortunate that they were already hearing weeping within, but for an entirely different reason.

"Why?! Why couldn't you tell everyone what Gohan did?! Why?!" Chi-Chi wailed, obviously knowing what Gohan and Goku had accomplished, ignoring Vegeta's last minute heroics in besting Cell.

"Gee, this isn't going to go well," Gohan mumbled with depression as he heard his mother shake the TV, much to his grandfather's chagrin and imploring concern for his only daughter.

"Well, we got to do it sometime or another," Trunks spoke solemnly with a shrug, reaching up and giving the door a rapid succession of knocks to signal their official arrival, "might as well give it to her now while she's in the mood for it."

"I don't care if she sheds a thousand tears," Vegeta grumbled, crossing his arms over his battle-worn Saiyan armor as he glared at the door of his late rival, "I will not leave here until I get the unnecessary blessing from Kakarot's wife!"

"Mom's definitely not going to take this well," Gohan's head sunk even lower with depression. Confident that if he could go any lower, it would be planted into the porch.

Sure enough, Chi-Chi stopped her sobbing long enough to come to the door. When she opened it, it was with an expression of joy, as she rushed up and smothered the young man in her maternal embrace of affection, "Oh Gohan! I was so worried about you! When I heard what was going on, I didn't know if Cell could be stopped! But I knew it! I knew my boy could beat that Cell, and not that showboat on TV!"

"Ha-ha, good to see you to mom!" Gohan smiled, glad to be in the loving embrace of his mother once more. He couldn't feel a little nervous of what he had to say next, due to what he would surmise to be shocking to his mom, "well...I'm glad you're proud of me...but I can't take the credit for beating Cell."

Pulling back from his son, Chi-Chi's eyes widened with anticipated wonder and disbelief, standing to her feet as she got a proper view of her son's honest eyes, "Really?! But I was certain you were the one who defeated him! Who was it then? Goku?"

"Ahem!" Vegeta gave a brief, but blunt clearing of his throat, staring impassively and sternly at Chi-Chi, allowing her to look over at him, before giving her the best confident smirk he could to project, "that would be me, sweetheart."

"V-Vegeta?!" Chi-Chi spoke in a aghast tone, her eyes wide with surprise before swiftly shifting to anger as she poked him plainly in the chest, her teeth baring with rage, "how dare you steal my Gohan's victory! You shouldn't have butted in where he put so much effort into winning this battle!"

"H-How dare I? How dare you use such a disgraceful tone at one of the most mightiest warriors of the universe?!" Vegeta snapped back, his forehead already bearing protruding veins of barely restrained rage, but didn't back off from his head nearly smashing into Chi-Chi's head, "have you no respect for a properly won victory, woman?!"

"I have no respect for people who don't respect my husband and son when it was supposed to be their victory to begin with!" Chi-Chi snarled back, her eyes locked onto Vegeta's as their faces were bare inches apart, almost foaming at the mouth with barely constrained violent rage building within both of them.

Immediately, the two sons moved in to secure their respective parents.

"Dad, please control yourself!" Trunks pulled his father back with as much strength as he could, using a full nelson grip in order to get the proper leverage over the much stronger warrior.

"Mom, please stop shouting!" Gohan raised his own voice as he bodily kept himself in front of his temperamental mother from lunging at Vegeta, "what Vegeta said was true. I didn't defeat Cell. He did it, fair and square, all by himself!"

After a brief struggle and imploring pleas given by both sons, Vegeta huffed in acknowledgement, allowing his muscles to relax and allow himself to be free of his son's restraints. Chi-Chi calmed down soon afterwards, but turned back into disbelief as she looked to her son's honest eyes, and couldn't deny his claims.

"But, Gohan...what about Goku? Didn't your father help defeat him?" Chi-Chi asked with concern, unsure if his absence had to do with something else or if he was badly injured from the battle to come with the others.

"Well...actually...uh," Gohan struggled to bring it up, having it been only a few hours since Goku's untimely demise, and his telepathic farewell to the group. Despite how peaceful his farewell had been, Gohan couldn't shake the feeling of his father's demise, and the fact he wouldn't be coming back for awhile. So ashamed he came home without his dad by his side, he couldn't meet her eyes and his head immediately bowed with great hesitation, "you see...the thing is...umm..."

This time, his answer would be prompted aloud by a more respectful individual.

"Chi-Chi, I'm sorry we came all this way to tell you this, but we're here to let you know the bad news," Trunks spoke in a solemn tone, his eyes briefly dipping towards the ground before returning to meet her gaze with great empathy, "Goku died to save us from of Cell's schemes. He used Instant Transmission to transport Cell away before he could destroy the Earth, but took the full force of the blast himself as well. I'm sorry..."

A great weight entered the air, and everything immediately took a serious, dark turn. Chi-Chi's eyes watered with confusion, knowing this has happened before, and she clearly remembered the sky turning dark, signaling the Eternal Dragon's wishes being cast.

"I-I don't understand," Chi-Chi spoke with confusion, water still gathering within her eyes, looking to each of the three warriors for an explanation, "why isn't Goku back? If you used the Dragon to make wishes, why isn't my husband here?!"

"Dad...insisted on staying dead for our safety," Gohan continued speaking, unable to raise his gaze to his own mom but relayed what his father said as his excuse, "he believed his existence has put the Earth in too much peril lately, so he's going to explore Other World for awhile, saying he got special privileges to keep his body and all that."

"Which is utter Bullshit if you ask me," Vegeta thought aloud, though kept it muttered, as it wasn't in his interest in speaking his mind to someone so emotionally similar to his own mate.

"S-So Goku...is gone?" Chi-Chi looked as if she was about to faint, steadying herself on the frame of the door, as tears slid down her paling face, and sweat built up around her brow and cheekbones, "I can't believe it. He would rather...die...than be with me and his family. Why...why would that selfish jerk do something like this?!"

As Chi-Chi bent down to kneel at the door, her hands cupped her face as she began to grieve. She burned inwardly with rage at Goku's reasoning, knowing how bad it was for him to believe he was the center of all of Earth's problems. Yet, she knew his mind wouldn't be changed, and that kept her from yelling aloud at someone who wasn't there anymore. Goku was gone, and he wouldn't be coming back anytime soon.

As Gohan leaned down to wrap his arms in a comforting gesture, Vegeta exchanged an impatient look to his son, causing him to sweatdrop at the visual indication. Shaking his head, he shifted his eyes towards Chi-Chi's direction, but after seeing a perturbed expression emanate from his own father's, he realized he wouldn't budge.

With a dramatic sigh, Trunks cleared his own throat, trying to get Chi-Chi's attention again, "Uh, Chi-Chi, we have other news we need to discuss with you."

Sniffling, Chi-Chi looked up with a tear-stained expression, as Gohan continued patting her on the back, "Y-Yes?"

"Well...its moreover something that has to do with Vegeta and Gohan-" Trunks began explained before his father rudely interrupted.

"I'm taking Gohan in as my personal student to hone his Saiyan instincts and train him in the arts of combat," Vegeta spoke with a blunt tone, while his impassive gaze met the grief-stricken one of Goku's widowed wife, "he won't be able to do as much schooling as you would like, and he will endure much hardship so that he could surpass his fool of a father."

It was at this moment, that Chi-Chi's demeanor shifted entirely.

"YOU WANT GOHAN TO DO WHAT?!" Chi-Chi's tears dried instantly within the heat of her rage, accidentally flinging Gohan onto his backside as she stood up immediately to shake her fists at Vegeta, glaring heatedly at the insinuation he made, "you have the gall to tell me my husband died and WANTED to stay dead for a stupid reason, and NOW you want to take my BABY away to TRAIN like HE did?!"

Knowing from his brief verbal spar from the human female from a few minutes ago, Vegeta decided to remain as uncaring to her shouts as possible. As much pain he had endured in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, and from his beatings he took from Android 18 and Cell soon after, he knew he should be able to withstand her fury if only for a few minutes.

"I don't want to train Gohan. I am **going **to train Gohan," Vegeta spoke with a dry tone, as he could almost roll his eyes at the incredulous tone that Chi-Chi took to him, "considering he is still a child, he insisted that he get your blessing on this arrangement. So," looking to Gohan, he spoke with a serious tone, "say goodbye to your mother, considering you might die from the training."

"D-DIE?!" Chi-Chi spoke with a horrified tone, her face paling even more at the idea of her son dying so soon after her husband.

"No, my father just means the training is going to be reall intense-" Trunks tried to comfort Chi-Chi, but was rudely interrupted again by his dad.

"No, he could really die from this training," Vegeta spoke matter-of-fact, insisting that what he said was entirely true.

"I will not allow Gohan to train with you, or anyone!" Chi-Chi shook her head and balled her fists in emphasis, glaring heatedly at Vegeta in particular, "I'd rather die than have little contact with my son and have him fighting again!"

"You really have no choice in the matter," Vegeta spoke in a confident tone, screaming inside at how poorly treated he felt from Goku's wife, but kept his impassive face for as long as he could will it to, "I am going to train your son, whether you like it or not. My student, however, wishes that you think better of me and this arrangement, but I could care less of your disposition against this proposal. It happens today."

With a fiery aura of red energy bursting forth from Chi-Chi, she was ready to strike Vegeta with as much strength she could muster for how blatant and disrespectful he spoke to her. It took Gohan's physical restraint from behind from moving immediately forward, but it took Trunks' next words to defuse her anger outright.

"Chi-Chi, I know how you feel. My mother didn't want me to take any part in time travel, despite all the work she put into it. Even I was afraid of the thought of being lost in the past, never to return home to her, and free her and my time from the scourge of the Androids," Trunks spoke sagely, getting Chi-Chi's attention enough to defuse her aura and her scowl, "but she knew I had to do it. There was no other way. I had to become a man through this endeavor, and it was a huge risk. But in the end, my intervention allowed your Earth to survive and give me the chance to see my father, and for your son to blossom into the man that he'll soon become."

"B-But I...I can't stand the thought of losing him," turning to Gohan, her tears welled up within her eyes, as she stroked his hair compassionately, sniffling, "I don't want him to die and leave me all alone."

"Don't worry mom, its not like I'm going to be gone for good," Gohan spoke in the best lighthearted tone he could muster, a tone that almost sounded like the child that Chi-Chi remembered Goku used to be, "I'll come by and visit whenever I can, and we'll still be a family. I just can't ignore the responsibility given to me, left by my dad, as being a protector of Earth. If I tried ignore this power and let his rust, I'll never live with myself if I couldn't have harnessed that power granted to me from the sacrifices and teachings my friends and dad have given me."

"I know, Gohan," kneeling down, Chi-Chi wrapped her arms tightly around the lithe fitted Saiyan-hybrid, sniffling as she spoke quietly, "please keep your dear mom company, and try to study when you can. I want you to be a fine husband for your future wife, you understand?"

"I'll try mom, though I don't think I'm going to get married that soon, haha!" Gohan chuckled as he returned the hug fervently, burying his face into her neck, relishing the maternal warmth one more time before he set out with Vegeta.

While this was all happening, Vegeta couldn't help but tap his right foot and tune out the maternal exchange between mom and son. Instead, he looked over at the window where the grandfather of his soon-to-be student sat, content in waiting for Chi-Chi to deal with her problems with her guests instead of awkwardly entering in the fray.

But the Ox-King wasn't what caught Vegeta's attention...

"_Hello, my name is Emily Wong, and I bring you another account of the victory celebration being hailed in the streets. Earlier today, the nightmarish creature known as Cell had attempted to destroy the Earth in a breathtaking battle of the ages, having challenged numerous martial artists in a mock Tenkai Budoken Tournament. After a series of ferocious battles following some disappointingly short ones, we lost the feed when the acclaimed Hercule Satan had claimed to have singlehandedly defeated Cell. While we have little evidence to back this up, it appears most of the world believes it to be true, and are still celebrating in the waking aftermath of the terror that the monster has caused_..."

Vegeta brimmed with anger. His teeth immediately bared and his glare focused upon the TV projecting the audio of the news report. He had already thought less of the blatantly ignorant, weak martial artist that tried to believe everything he saw Goku, Gohan, and himself do was nothing but an illusion, but this hit past the ceiling of the proud, Saiyan prince's toleration. And it only got worse...

"_Here is some recorded news feed of Mr. Satan having being paraded across the road, with tens of thousands of people lined up and down the street, celebrating our hero's victory and the Earth's safety, being ensured_," briefly the camera had shifted from the attractive woman's face to a narrated audio of hers, blended with video footage of different angles of the hastily prepared parade. The celebration contained thousands of citizens within the ruined city that Cell had been responsible for causing havoc within, and a single decorated float with Mr. Satan's name and ribbons adorning it showed off the ridiculous looking fraud himself.

"_People have come back to life, through the power of Mr. Satan! He's just that awesome!_" A brief cut to one of the citizens with a 'Mr. Satan' on his shirt, shouting with excitement from the rush of celebration occuring around him, "_this guy was dead, and the moment Mr. Satan killed him, that monster somehow brought back everyone dead from his unnatural powers he used to kill us! This guy is a true monster slayer!_"

"_He's a real hero! I don't know anyone else to be a better role model for my children than Hercule Satan!_" A young married woman spoke with a tearful smile, holding kids waving red flags with the champion's face emblazoned upon it, "_God bless you, Mr. Satan!_"

Having violently twitched throughout hearing the whole broadcast, Vegeta inwardly growled and veins bulged from his forehead with barely suppressed rage building deep within the abysmal cavity of his chest. His heart pounding and the thoughts he felt skimming through his mind at break-neck speed blinded him to the conclusive conversation between Chi-Chi and her son.

And then, the footage was directed to the guffawing champion himself, Hercule Satan. Currently garbed in a white, elaborately designed coat, while wearing the Champion belt around his waist, the man was in a victory stance, constantly laughing loudly and smiling for all to see, "_That's right! I killed Cell with one strike of my Dynamite Ultra Punch! It was easy! All of those posers who use their fancy light shows, smoke, and mirrors never pulled the wool over my eyes! Cell is toast and he's no longer a threat to anybody now! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!_"

"**I'M GOING TO F***ING KILL HIM**!" Vegeta shouts with unbridled rage, as he suddenly shot into the air with a aura of blue-white surrounding his body, creating a stream of light into the sky before a sonic boom was heard from the dramatic increase in speed, rocketing into the horizon.

A powerful gust of wind had discharged in his wake, causing all three of the gathered comrades to look in comical shock.

"D-Dad?" Trunks twitched with fear, never having witnessed such horrifying rage in his life.

"W-Where did Vegeta go?" Gohan asked with less fear and more confusion, while Chi-Chi held onto her son with a comically paled complexion and a messed, wind-blown expression on her face.

"I dunno," Trunks shrugged, scratching his forehead in emphasis to his ignorance to the TV's ending of the broad cast from within the house, "I guess he found something to vent his rage on. I just hope he doesn't cause too much trouble..."

* * *

Hercule felt a big wave of relief wash over him.

Basking in the coolness of the current mansion he lived him, earned through fame of his prior championship, it had now been deemed too dull and undersized for someone as famous as the Earth's greatest protector. With all of the money being granted to him, the title of "World Champion" instead of simply World Martial Art Champion gave his ego a boost through the roof.

Sure he lied about taking out Cell, but with a smug grin on his face, he could not only keep his credibility as the world's strongest martial artist, but he could now get all the royalties for defeating the monster. Despite the ferocious winds and lights he witnessed, he knew that if he really got up close, he could knock that Cell into the sky if he wanted to.

That certainty was clear in his mind, but how could he not shake a feeling of foreboding fear about the strangers with weird powers.

"Bunch of posers, pffff! Just like Cell!" He shouted aloud, as custom to the majority of his speech when alone or in front of the press. In emphasis, he stood up from his plush couch, planting a thumb upon his hairy, muscular chest, "I am the Grand Champion of the World! No one can push me around, that's for sure! BUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!-"

Knock-Knock-Knock!

"Huh?" Hercule looked over, wondering how anyone could get past the security gates. He probably assumed it was a press agent or a house designer, so he responded with a loud, annoyed shout, "I thought I said I don't want to be disturbed! Please leave and come back tomorrow!"

Knock-Knock-KNOCK!

"Grrrrrr!"

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!

"I'm coming already! Hold your horses!" Hercule straightened his robe and began sloppily clapping his bare feet across the plush white carpet, the smooth hardwood flooring, and right in front of the grandiose dual rail staircase leading up to his immense second floor behind him and in front of the door. Strangely enough, dents were being formed from the knocks, and the closer he got, the more severe they sounded, "hey! You don't need to be violent on the door! I said I was com-"

But Mr. Satan wouldn't have a chance to finish his sentence, as he would find himself blown back after the door itself comically wrenched itself off the hinges from the sheer force of the last knock. His face was flattened, as he was caught off guard, and his back indented into the beautiful wain-scott designed staircase, leaving him trapped momentarily by the door.

"Grrr!" Hercule growled as he felt totally abused by the unnecessary show of force. He surmised it was a rival martial artist, intending to take the tidal away from him, after he had _worked so hard _on getting. With a heavy heave, he pushed the door off him, and immediately rose to his feet, despite the immense pain his back and face was in from the impact, trying to act tough, "you sure have a lot of nerve! Who the Hell do you think you are?!"

What greeted his sight was a strangely familiar and uneasily pissed short man. He had unusually black, pointed crop of hair, as if it was a black flickering flame on-top of a fair complexioned, worn battle-armored warrior's head. His glare held a knowing, accusatory look that sent chills down Mr. Satan's spine, as he had a very good idea who this guy was, without knowing him personally.

"Well, from the looks of it, you can call me the door man," Vegeta spoke with dry humor, lost on the grating, low tone he projected within his words as he glared defiantly at the human, "but you could call me the REAL World Champion of Earth. To be clear, the one who tore Cell into dust."

"Y-You're one of those f-f-fakes and f-f-freak shows!" Hercule pointed at him, trying to convey indignation at the man's sudden entrance and accusatory remarks. Visibly, his knees were shaking as he felt something unearthly frightening about the small man, "I-I know you really aren't the real c-c-champ!"

"Well I wouldn't call myself Champion, as I really don't care much for the majority of this planet's populace," Vegeta spoke frankly and dryly, deciding to step closer to Hercule, coming to stand a mere three feet from the taller, yet horribly outclassed man, "but I AM the man who defeated Cell."

"N-No you're not! I-I am Hercule Satan! The Strongest Man in the world and true martial artist! You, your friends, and Cell were nothing but hacks who used special tech and illusions to win your fights! Yeah, that's it! You're all fakes in comparison to real martial artists!" Hercule pointed with blind assurance at Vegeta, but did nothing but humor the wrath-filled Saiyan of his logic, causing Hercule to sweat at the look of a smirk developing on the intruder's face.

"I recall you being hurtled nearly thirty meters by a single backhand by Cell," Vegeta spoke with a brief bout of humor, "and you have the GALL to claim that YOU beat Cell?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Uh...b-but its true!" Hercule weakly tried to reassure the man whom began laughing louder than ever had at his claims. Despite his clear knowing he participated more than he did, during the Cell Games, his pride and his ego clouded his judgement. As Hercule tried to further puff up his chest, he reached down and grabbed the short man by the collar of his skin-tight suit, Hercule projected a show of forced rage, physically displayed from a gesture from his chest, "listen here you little punk! I am Mr. Satan! I won my title of Martial Arts Champion fair and square, and I have never seen freaks like you participating there. For all I know, you're just a cheat who hides behind fancy gizmos and shiny lights, or a cyborg with unnatural abilities real people don't have! I can't credit you as a worthy candidate of being World Champion, if I can't believe a word you say or anything you show me!-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

"Urk!" Hercule felt his bathrobe collar-line squeezed by the short man's right glove, lifting up into the air and beginning to constrict around his throat. His eyes bulged, feeling very real muscles hold him aloft, even as his feet weakly beat against his aggressor's body, they all felt like steel, but had the definition of real muscle.

"_I can't believe this! This guy...he's so strong!_" Hercule's mind went reeling at the implications, realizing there might be true merit to all the things he saw, no matter how outrageously ridiculous they appeared to be.

But Vegeta didn't feel like letting him off easy. The Saiyan brought him down to have him forced to eye level, allowing a dark smile to emanate from his face as his eyes glared back mere inches away from the Hercule's, "You're right, little man. Of course I can't prove anything to you. Even I was to crush your body with my bare hands or incinerate you and this ridiculous mansion, you probably would deny it to the end. But your audience would, now wouldn't they, if they saw you defeated in a Tournament?"

"Ulp!" Hercule couldn't coherently respond. The premise of what this nameless, strange-looking warrior was suggesting gave Hercule chills and made his stomach uneasy.

"So, from now on, be careful about coming to ANY of your Tournaments. You see, my son, my new student, and I may want to participate in them to show off our new skills, techniques, and strength. Who knows? The others may want to do it for the Hell of it as well," Vegeta continued, his eyes narrowing at the prospect of seeing the famed so-called Hercule Satan in front of him, on a ring, "so make no mistake. When you see the truth, is the moment when the whole world sees the truth, for the unbelievably stupid fraud you really are. Trust me. There is no greater pain, than utter humiliation and stripping of any pride your had in yourself as a warrior. Who knows? You may never want to fight. Ever. Again!"

"N-No!" Hercule suddenly panicked, grabbing upon Vegeta's sleeves in emphasis, realizing how whimsical the crowd's view of someone could be if shown live and on TV. After all, its how he deceived everyone into thinking he defeated Cell, "please, don't do this to me! I'm begging you!"

"Show some dignity fool! Even Raditz had enough decency to not cower beneath a stronger enemy than that!" Vegeta reprimanded, remembering the Saiyan Elite who was often viewed by the others as weak and barely qualified to be among their ranks, despite his immense power as a Saiyan.

The meaning lost to the soon-to-be Ex-Champion, Hercule began blubbering through pathetic sobs, "You can't take this away from me! This title, being the champ, it means everything to me!"

"Continue to sob, and I'll kill you where you stand, fool!" Vegeta growled, his rage beginning to light anew, almost losing any patience in public humiliation. Raising his left hand, he prepared to punch the man with his absolute minimum power to the man's jaw, knowing it would surely break and give the poor, pathetic fighter a bare excuse for not showing himself in public for awhile.

But then, Vegeta would find himself wide-eyed and dazed, as a weak, yet precise kick landed directly into the back of his head.

"Leave my dad alone, jerk!" A young, fiery black-pigtailed adorned girl yelled out as threateningly as she could. Despite as hard as she kicked, she could tell it didn't hurt him, but was glad it had the desired outcome of Vegeta dropping the pathetic con man on-top of his entryway.

"Who dares-?!" Vegeta whirled around, knowing the threat to be abysmal, but felt compelled none-the-less. As soon as he did so, he felt his face turn around with a wide-eyed dazed look. A well-placed kick to his jaw, while having no impact or damage done to him what-so-ever, stopped in in mid-speech from the tenacity of the young girl.

"Agh!" The young girl bent down and grabbed her bare feet, feeling as if she broke her toes from that last kick, the sensation almost as bad as striking thick layered brick. As she looked up to take a stance again, she found herself staring up at a glaring man, briefly feeling a sensation of fear trickle up her spine from the anger that projected from the unknown man's eyes.

Determined to protect her father, she rushed with perfect precision and foot, swinging her fist towards the man's gut, partially exposed by the cracked armor, in order to get a good hit in, "I won't let you come in and bully the world's champion, jerk!"

"Ha!" Vegeta found himself humored, that the girl, obviously his daughter from audible and visual acknowledgement, also fell for the clever lie he told.

With barely any visual motion made, Vegeta swung his right gloved hand around and grabbed her fist with deft skill, holding her tightly and still as he observed her with his senses as he spoke, "Even his own daughter is bought out by his clever hoax! Its such a shame such a promising fighter like you, with a much higher power level than his, would ever be related to him!"

"Let go of me, you bastard!" the pre-teen rained a number of kicks and other punches on the man's body, but all it did to him was make him laugh in amusement, causing her to not only injure herself in the process, but be very afraid of his strength.

Reaching up to slap the girl, he found an alarmed yell from none other than Hercule Satan, crying out greater desperation and fear, caused the Saiyan to pause, "LEAVE VIDEL ALONE!"

"Hmph," feeling a twinge of pity for the girl, realizing she was delusional like all the others, he merely threw her to the side, sending the prospective martial artist tumbling across the grassy lawn to kick up dirt to properly incapacitate her, "I have no interest in destroying the helpless, fool. I only have a thing for crushing the weak, when they are blatant liars, cowards, and blubbering idiots who can't even believe their own eyes for what they see!" Looking over his shoulder, Vegeta fired up a aura of blazing blue-white energy around his form, kicking up immense wind and crushing the entryway in the wake of his base state's barely controlled fury, "Remember my promise, Hercule Satan. For it will be I, Vegeta, who shows just how much of a sham you really are! It may be months or years, but one day, you will lose everything, and just know how devoid of any honor and pride you really have in the end!"

After the mind-numbing speech, Hercule covered his face in terror, as the small warrior known as Vegeta somehow took the air, leaving a streak of blue-white, creating the sound of a screaming jet fighter to exude the air, leaving a further real imprint of the frightening experience upon Mr. Satan's mind.

As he blinked away the blur the light made upon his eyes, he saw a slightly dirty Videl, leaning down help her father up with a concerned tone in her voice, "Are you alright, dad?!

"Y-Yes, Videl, I am," briefly overcome by emotion, he grabbed his daughter by the shoulders and pulled her into a awkward, emotionally distraught-filled hug, "my poor little girl, getting hurt by that mean man! I'm so sorry I didn't stop him sooner!"

"Y-Yeah...sure dad," Videl tried calming her distraught, emotional wreck of a father down, tapping his back while being smothered by his unwelcome onslaught of facial and barely covered chest hair, "just let go of me please..."

"Uh, sorry honey," Mr. Satan brought himself out of his reverie, clearing his throat as he stood onto his feet, placing his fists onto his hips as he tried to shake his finger and sound like a dad, "what were you thinking, jumping on a guy like that? I barely held him off myself, before scaring him the same way I scared Cell!"

"You looked like you were in trouble, and he didn't seem like someone I couldn't handle," Videl reacted casually, placing her arms innocently behind her back, holding back the urge to wince at the sensation of her bruised hand and possibly fractured toes. Quickly turning things around, she frowned at her father, as she queried the incident itself, "what was he here for? He caused a big mess for some reason. Was he trying to steal your title?"

"Uh, yeah! HAHA! But the sheer fright of remembering that I am the Champion who beat Cell must have knocked some sense into him! That's right! HAHAHAHAHA!" Hercule tried to reassure his daughter, propping his knuckles on his hips while puffing out his bathrobe-wrapped chest as he guffawed in the manliest way he could.

Blankly staring at him with slight embarrassment, Videl was still suspicious about some of the words the man said, but decided to drop it. His dad was already flaunting his title before the Cell Games, and she was proud of how skilled a martial artist he was, wanting to strive to be just like him. The only ignorance she had was how much weaker her father was, despite her age and size.

Turning around as her father got lost in his own self-deceiving pride, she looked up at the sky where she thought and saw the mysterious man had disappeared to. Who was this Vegeta? What was this claim of her father being a sham, and how he wanted to beat him in a Tournament?

Well, whatever the case may be, Videl knew to keep a closer eye out for future competitions demonstrating martial artist skill, for knowing that this man wouldn't be far behind.

* * *

**A/N**: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND that wraps up that chapter! Whew, it took so long to get this done cause I was getting interrupted by nearly every aspect of my life, but, I got it done somehow! .

So there we go! I managed to fit some stuff in with Vegeta's real maturation of what he admired and saw in Gohan was real potential. Knowing how powerful the boy could become overtime, and now that his strength rivaled, and now certainly surpassed his, he's determined to keep that sharp blade honed, and never rust as it had in Canon.

I want to thank RHODESKurosaki for giving me inspiration of the funny line during the brief spat of comedy Vegeta, Trunks, and Chi-Chi had before Trunks talked the angry mother down. That scene, besides the moment when Vegeta's "Rage Broke" at seeing Mr. Satan blatantly proclaim himself champion on Live TV was my personal favorite.

Also, for those ME Fans, I implemented our favorite Reporter from the game, _Mass Effect_, for those of you who saw that ;)

I hope the last scene was appropiate. I knew the flight to Hercule's house (I know it might be regular sized, but I thought him being alone in a mansion would be what the guy would do after a long day of partying with his fans) would've defused most of Vegeta's rage, and allowed him to have real enjoyment in venting his thoughts and anger at the man's audacity to him. We even saw lil Videl coming to daddy's rescue! Ah, Videl, where would your dad be without you? XD

So opinions, questions, criticism (the constructive, not DEconstructive kind, lol)?

Let me know what you think, cause the **Bojack Tournament** is coming up next, and that will have a LOT more twists and turns than the last one will have. If you have any suggestions of what you'd like me to do, or maybe a funny line I could use, let me know and I'll credit you for it. Thanks for reading and supporting this Fanfic and I'll see you on the next, Vegeta Chronicles! ^_^


	3. The Tournament

**THE VEGETA CHRONICLES**

* * *

**Chapter 3 - The Tournament**

* * *

_The following weeks would speed by fast for Gohan and Vegeta. As they had planned for the best course of sleeping arrangements for the duration of young Saiyan-Human Hybrid's training with the Saiyan Elite, it only made sense for the veteran warrior to suggest using one of the many empty rooms within Capsule Corp. _

_While meeting initial resistance by Bulma about having Gohan live away from his family, Vegeta reasoned it would be too difficult to have to wait on the boy to travel here and back. It was also the best place for him to stay, as Capsule Corp's HQ structure dual purposed as a large mansion for the expansive living space and quarters of the Briefs family. Having already housed Vegeta for prolonged periods of time, it almost seemed natural for Vegeta to assume they'd do the same for his new apprentice-in-training. _

_Gohan thought of the time in the Hyperbolic Chamber and concluded it was blissfully peaceful in comparison to the time he spent with Vegeta in training. Every day they would spend a minimum of eight to ten hours training themselves of self-improvement within a specially modified gravity chamber, one of which that could house their enormous influxes of energy properly while also increasing the gravity exposure past prior limitations. _

_Having only been exposed to slightly elevated gravity in the past, Gohan strained and struggled to control his base form in high settings, while honing his Super Saiyan forms for the next six months. Upon occasional events, usually only occurring once a week, Vegeta and himself would spar and the latter would be instructed tactically how best to use advanced Saiyan style martial arts in sync with the new powers of the Super Saiyan forms granted to him._

_This would be the only thing driving Gohan, as his time visiting his mom had only been extended to once a day during the weekends, always excited to tell her of the amazing progress he felt was being made. Not even training with Piccolo had ever felt this intense or dangerous, and felt that Vegeta's dryly announced warning of possible death was well worth hearing prior to starting the rigorous process. _

_Then...an announcement would change the flow of this intense training, one of which would bring a new and unexpected challenge for him and his friends to overcome._

* * *

"_Today, we received an important announcement! In the wake of the heroic deeds of Mr. Satan's victory against the evil monster Cell nearly half a year ago, a new Tournament dubbed the _Intergalactic Tournament_, has been proposed by the Billionaire X.S. Cash. This Tournament is unlike the prior Tenkaichi Budoken Tournaments, will feature real aliens! This being a fair entry for all races and genders alike, the Intergalactic Tournament highly encourages prospective martial artists across the globe to enter! The location of this Tournament will be held upon the man-made island, known as _Battle Island_! Designed to withhold many uniquely designed arenas for the challengers, only one will walk away with a cash prize of 100,000,000 Zeni!_"

Coughs and gasps were heard from Bulma, as she had been feeding her child when she heard the stunning announcement. This caused the entirety of the group to halt their noon smorgasbord as they watched the TV with rapt attention. Even Vegeta had set his eyes upon the screen, waiting patiently to hear the rest of the announcement.

"_As a bonus, Mr. Satan himself has agreed to fight alongside the competitors during the Tournament to compete for the grand prize. Despite how he often has hailed from the background and only entered once there was only one challenger left, this is obviously a new side of Hercule we have never seen before, and I personally am excited to see him duke it out with the rest of the competitors! In just three days time, this weekend will be on fire as tens of thousands of people are expected to attend this new Tournament in honor of our World Champion, Hercule Satan, at the designated stadium, while the rest is aired for those across the entire world! This is Emily Wong, and I'm happy to report to you your noon news..._"

Vegeta gave a dark chuckle, as his onyx eyes narrowed with apparent amusement at the boldness of the so-called "World Champion", especially after his last visit to the pathetic martial artist's home.

"_Apparently this calls for a little intervention. I'll ensure he regrets being so brazen when the threat I made so perfectly clear. Make no mistake, this time around, he will suffer by my hand_," Vegeta inwardly plotted, keeping his dark expression, something that caused Bulma to eye him with curiosity as she regained her own composure.

"You seem pretty excited, Vegeta," Bulma smiled, excited to see her lover finally take an actual interest in the organized competitions, "planning on winning that prize for us to take our little boy and big man on a vacation?"

"Ugh, mother," Trunks, the older future counterpart, rolled his eyes before hanging his head as he was referred in such a manner, "you can just call me by name, and refer to my counterpart in the plural form."

"But, Trunks, you have gotten to be such a strong, handsome man, just like your father," Bulma winked mischievously, earning a blush of embarrassment from the Half-Saiyan.

"I wouldn't enter into a flamboyantly ridiculous competition just for wealth, woman," Vegeta huffed audibly, showing his disdain at the suggestion for presuming his motivation so poorly. Resuming his dark smile, he added with a chuckle, "I want to see how far my son and my disciple have gotten in their training. What better way than to add some stakes to give more incentive for us to show what we're really capable of!"

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the fact Hercule is in the Tournament, right Vegeta?" Gohan smirked as he pointed his fork in his mentor's direction.

Vegeta's smile turned into a scowl as his eyes set its gaze to meet the knowing stare of his pupil. Despite all the improvement he made, his tendencies to act like his late rival always burned him up. Even his hairstyle, despite being trimmed in the fashion of which he had during the Cell Games, with nothing but an upturned pointy lock of hair just above his right brow, his face looked undeniably similar to Goku's, if not in a more younger appearance.

"Hmph, he's not worth my time," Vegeta turned his face in a convincing glare back at Gohan, causing the boy to back off the issue, something he became accustomed to when spending each day training with the Saiyan Elite, "I much rather face you, Gohan, and my son rather than pick a fight with such a loser. But...if it so happens that fate pits me against the fraud who stole the honor I had in slaying Cell, then he will know absolute humiliation. I guarantee it!"

"Try to go easy on him," Bulma spoke with a little concern, but bore a humored smile on her face, showing that she didn't think much of the egotistical superstar hoax, "after all, it wouldn't look good if the real hero of Earth mutilated such a noteworthy man. Everyone will be terrified of you, if that happens."

"Ha! They should be!" Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest, grinning confidently as he bent his chin upwards as he leaned back on his seat, "after all, next to Trunks and Gohan, I am the strongest warrior of the galaxy. Until another worthy challenger crawls from the wood works, I will do my utmost best to proclaim my superiority over all others. Whether they be brutes or cons, they will all be crushed underneath my boot!"

"Well, we'll have to see about that in the Tournament," Trunks spoke with a confident smirk of his own, lifting his fist up in emphasis before clenching it tightly, "after all, there might be a good chance you won't make it to the finals, with me and Gohan in it. I'll bet anything if the other guys know about this, they're probably excited to put their own training to the test!"

"Tch, granted the Namekian has been showing promise, but I doubt any of the others will prove to me to be anything but an annoyance," Vegeta sighed, setting his arms onto the table, grabbing the rest of his food and devouring it in one inhaling swallow. Wiping his mouth on his arm, much to his wife's chagrin, he stood up and cocked his head to the exit of the kitchen as he walked out, "c'mon then! We only have three days until this so-called Intergalactic Tournament occurs! I rather us be at our best when we face each other on the proper stage!"

"Right!" Gohan nodded with affirmation, trading a glance with Trunks, before the two rose from their tables after inhaling their respective portions.

As the three Saiyan warriors rushed out of the kitchen to renew their training, Bulma could only sigh as she looked down at her toddler, content with devouring his baby food as messily as he could. As the toddler smiled happily with what he didn't eat layered upon his lips and chin, she could only wonder if her son would ever turn out the way his father and counterpart would.

* * *

During the lapse of six months, the Saiyan offspring and the last remaining Saiyan weren't the only ones motivated to train in the wake of Cell's defeat. In fact, seeing Vegeta overcome his own personal feelings and vices in order to destroy the monster actually gave the Z Fighters renewed hope, and vigor in preparing themselves to be the last remaining guardians of Earth, should the time come when the power of the Super Saiyans would be enough.

Having learned to better tap into his immense reserves of potential power, Piccolo began to start a new line of training that would further help build up his energy and physical force, without having to rely on special locations of training, such as the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Despite not being Guardian of Earth, he always remained upon the Lookout, ensuring that the youthful Namekian would never be alone and that the sacred borderline orbital temple wouldn't be left unguarded.

Upon occasion he would see Gohan during his time of momentary absence from the Briefs residence, and from Vegeta's rigorous training to hone the new found power of which had been called Super Saiyan 2. He was deeply impressed and proud of the progress his former student had made in such a short span of time.

This encouraged him to press himself to the utmost limits of the power granted to him by Kami in aftermath of his fusion. As the broadcast began to hail across the country, and the world, of the upcoming Intergalactic Tournament, a rare smile was brought onto the stern visage of the respected warrior of Namek.

"A Tournament, huh? I guess people are already starting to feel more comfortable with having those again, despite what Cell did only six months ago," Piccolo spoke audibly, already feeling the presence of Dende, the new prodigious Guardian of the Lookout and Earth's Dragon Balls. While his back was turned and his eyes closed, as he remained in a constant state of meditation to keep himself training, Piccolo queried the young Namekian, "are those two done in there? I know they've been training for the past six months, but I didn't expect even Yamcha to last this long in there of all places..."

"Oh, if you mean if Tien, Krillin, and Yamcha are done with the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, then they should be coming out any minute now," the young Namekian smiled with assurance, as he looked over his shoulder at the location of which the door that separated the two dimensions lied, and the clock directly over it, "they were only using it for twelve hours instead of a full day, so I don't think it should be too much for them, considering they all make good company for each other."

"Hmph," Piccolo resumed his stoic expression, but kept his back to the young Namekian none-the-less. He could feel the enormous well of power being poured out of his body and circulated, within a constant flow. While it appeared he was at complete ease, the mental and physical strain was just as intense as a physical sparring would be with a Super Saiyan.

He purposely masked his power, or his full strength that is, from the others, hoping to conceal it from the likes of Gohan, Vegeta, and Trunks. Even if they trained hard, he purposely endeavored to train just as hard in his own way, and ensure he would not alert others, less they haste their own training to exceed his rapid ascent.

"Dende," the voice of a low, yet cheerful rotund genie walked out of the courtyard and approached the young Guardian of Earth with a respectful bow, "the time is up for the others in the chamber. We should greet them, and see the results of their hard work."

"Alright, Mr. Popo," Dende spoke with equal show of etiquette, bowing his head meekly as he clutched his tall stave. Turning his head, he saw Piccolo finally grunt out of his meditative trance, and stand to his feet.

Whether it was just the point of view of a child looking up to an elder, or something he had been noticing over the past half year on the Lookout...he almost imagined that Piccolo was a little taller than usual.

Shaking himself out of his dazed reverie, Dende saw Piccolo already walking forth with stoic strides towards the portal's gateway, causing the young Guardian to timidly follow behind the staunch, Namekian protector of Earth.

Impeccably upon standing not but ten meters from the doorway, the immaculate gate opened forth like clockwork, and in excess, revealed three staunch warriors of humanity marching forth. Each one bore a look of confidence that hadn't been seen since their days during the Tenkaichi Budokai Tournaments, with each one adorning a new look to verify the lapse of time leaving an impact upon each of them.

Standing at the far left was none other than Tien Shinhan, his body adorned with several new scars, obviously from some unusual intense training within the chamber, while his exposed torso seemed to have accentuated even further than it had beforehand. A confident smile donned upon his face, and his three eyes glistened of promise and resolve. He obviously had felt satisfied from his venture in the chamber.

Standing to his left and dead center of the group was Krillin. Wearing a wide grin upon seeing familiar faces and the shining Sun greeting him, glistening the majestic Lookout. Nonchalant as always, he also seem to permeate with confidence and a carefree presence from him. Relief washed over him, like a nice cool shower over his bald head.

Lastly, standing to the far right of Piccolo was Yamcha. His time seemed to have impacted him the most. On-top of the training he had stressed to put himself forth in the past six months, he then agreed to go in with Tien and Krillin to push himself even farther. Having never been more motivated to prove himself to Goku that he could pull his own weight, especially without the help of a certain, haughty Super Saiyan. His long-mane style hair now gone, replaced by a butch-cut trim of hair over his head, while showing new definition from his own body, as well as a renewed confident grin on his face. The last time he sported such a look was when he prepared to face Vegeta and Nappa after his own stressful training with his friends had finished.

"Well, it seems like none of you are worse for wear," Piccolo spoke with an admiring tone, a smirk donned upon his green visage as he eyed even Yamcha to his right, "even you, Yamcha, seemed to exceed my expectations. Its been awhile since I've seen you so devoted to your training..."

"Yeah, well, I tried my best," Yamcha chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck, characteristically spreading a goofy smile on his face, "it wasn't easy either. I think Tien and Krillin had to take shifts in picking me up after I passed out from the training in the chamber."

"Yeah, no kidding! With all that extra muscle you got now, its not easy lifting you off your sorry butt, Yamcha!" Krillin laughed in a jocular tone, causing Yamcha to briefly glare in a playful manner before Tien has his own say.

"Krillin and Yamcha did exceptionally well in their training. They kept up with me nearly every step of the way," Tien crossed his well endowed arms over his massive torso, a confident smile wore with an exceptional glint of mystery hidden. A telling to Piccolo that he had developed a few tricks of his own.

But the Namekian was nothing but sharp, and immediately assumed he and the others had begun mastering _that _technique, taught to them by King Kai all those years ago.

"So, it sounds like you found a way to sustain that technique past what Goku could?" Piccolo queried, cutting straight to the chase as he crossed his own arms over his large chest.

Tien shrugged, letting his arms drop to his sides as all three eyes stared at him intently, "Maybe, maybe not. Its hard to tell at this point. I won't know until I give my skills a test boost," arching a brow he waved a hand in emphasis, "care to have a test run, and see for yourself?"

"Hmph," Piccolo grunted visibly, but inwardly admired the guts and zeal the three-eyed rival of Goku's had. If there was at any time a human who rivaled in potential to the Saiyan's, it was Tien Shinhan. With a shake of his head, Piccolo spoke in a propositioning tone, "actually, I have a better idea to sate that appetite of battle of yours. All three of you in fact."

"Really? What is that?!" Krillin asked excitedly, wondering what Piccolo could mean.

"A few minutes ago, a rich billionaire had aired an announcement of a grandiose tournament that will be held in three days from now. Its called the Intergalactic Tournament, due to the supposed show of aliens being involved," Piccolo spoke derisively about the latter part of his announcement, closing his eyes with a show of obvious disdain for the mockery, "of course, they're really just clowns, probably hired by the supposed World Champion himself, to make things appear to be different than normal."

"Wow! A Tournament, huh?! Boy that sure does bring me back," Krillin spoke with obvious excitement and nostalgia, sighing as he looked up in the sky with a smile, "now, if only a certain blonde would show up to watch me compete, that'd really make my day..."

"Hah! You're dreaming! That Android told you off, even after you spent the wish on her and her lousy brother," Yamcha waved his hand dismissively, rolling his eyes at the thought of Krillin's delusional romantic desire for the blonde cyborg, "its obvious she doesn't have a thing for midgets, anyways..."

"Hey! I'm not a midget, I'm a dwarf! There's a difference there you know!" Krillin waved his hand at Yamcha insistently, despite it all in being good fun, had a sense of pride in himself, despite his proportionately challenged height in retrospect to others.

The two continued to bicker, as custom of their particular friendship, which allowed Tien and Piccolo to speak personally to each other, without need of interruption weighing in.

"All the kidding aside, I think that's an excellent idea," Tien spoke evenly with a renewed smirk, smacking his right fist into an open left palm in an audible and visual emphasis of his eagerness for a sparring match, "knowing Vegeta and those two other Saiyans, they'll probably jump at the chance of fighting in this Tournament and show how its really done!"

"Don't get too cocky," Piccolo warned him levelly, adding with a smirk of his own, a fire lighting up within his own eyes as his blood itched for a battle of his own, "you still haven't seen what I've been up to yet, and I might have the advantage in where most of you do not."

"Yeah, well we'll see," Tien nodded to Piccolo, before glancing over at the bickering pair, speaking loud enough to get their attention, "hey, since we all worked so hard, how about we take a trip to Kame House? It'll be nice to show off to Master Roshi how far we've come, and take a load off before the big event takes place."

"Yeah! Sounds like a great idea!" Yamcha fist pumped in agreement, whereas Krillin nodded in succession to that plan.

"Alright," taking to the air, Tien waved to Piccolo and the others, smiling down at them as he was joined by his three comrades, "we'll see you guys soon! Let us know if you want to meet up before the Tournament starts so we can all go together!"

"Count on it," Piccolo spoke with assurance, the confidence oozing from his body was almost as palpable as the keen gaze of promising excitement boring into Tien's eyes of rare self-honed determination.

With a turn of his cape, he walked back to his original spot, and began to resume meditating. Things were about to get interesting for everybody...

* * *

And those several days past as quickly as the last half year had for the Super Saiyans. The title of winner wouldn't mean anything to them, unless they defeated each other properly in combat. With a stage no less, this would prove not only to themselves, but the world that briefly whispered of their unbelievable existence not so long ago, and had blissfully forgotten them.

Vegeta, most of all, wanted to change that ignorant way of thinking.

As he awoke before dawn, he slipped out his bed from Bulma, padding his bare feet across the floor and into the restroom, shutting the door as quietly as possible. He didn't want to inconvenience his wife and child, especially since this was a day he wanted them to be awake and see him at his best.

Quickly shedding himself of his undergarments, Vegeta entered the shower and turned the nob to boiling hot. His durable skin and tolerance for pain allowed him to feel the high temperatures with ease and relaxation, loosening up the muscles for the day of his participation. Leaning his hands against the tiled wall, he immediately began to strategize, his eyes stared at the wall as he thought over those participating and what he was up against.

"_Alright. As far as I can tell, my real biggest challenges are Gohan and Trunks. While Gohan may have more power than my son, he still has a ways to go before reaching my caliber in skill. I'm not sure if my son has reached this level, but he is smart and unpredictably resourceful at times, his cunning exceeding my own time and again. I'll have to be wary for any tricks he may try to pull during the Tournament_."

Turning around, he allowed his backside to get a full-douse as he crossed his arms in the stall, thinking over the other warriors that would assuredly enter, "_I felt the progress those three earthlings made when they exited the chamber. They're impressive, but nowhere near the class of a fully trained Super Saiyan. It will be interesting battling them at my base form before finishing them, in the event I do make it to any one of them. However, its the Namekian that's been troubling," _narrowing his eyes, he glared at the array of lotions Bulma stacked upon a metal rack, hoisted onto suction cups that cemented themselves on the tiled wall of the shower stall, "_he's been suppressing his energy far more than usual. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I'd almost assume he died of old age up there, but I know better. He must be working on some special training he inherited from that fossil of a Namekian he fused with. It might prove challenging indeed, and worthy of a good fight_."

Turning around on the balls of his feet, Vegeta shut the shower off, and slid the curtains back. As the Saiyan began stepping wetly onto the floor, he grabbed a beige towel off the towel rack, as he smiled darkly in emphasis of his trail of thought.

Drying himself of the acquired moisture of his morning shower he couldn't help but chuckle during his personal musings, "_However, if by the slightest chance I find myself pitted against that buffoon of a con man, Hercule Satan, I will intend to drag every ounce of enjoyment I can in absolutely humiliating him. Once its over, at least he can retain some measly portion of his self-worth as a honest man, like it would matter when he will lose everything, haha_!"

After drying himself off, he grasped a black tinted muscle shirt, sliding it over his muscular chest before sliding an identical pair of black slacks. Finally sliding his white-gold edged boots and his white gloves, the Saiyan prince felt satisfied he wore a casual, yet substantially impressive set of attire for the event.

Taking the time to look at the mirror, Vegeta looked at his reflection with a cocky grin. Pointing his thumb at his face, he chuckled as he spoke to himself, "Yup, just going to stand here and keep being awesome."

* * *

By the time he left the restroom, he managed to exchange early morning pleasantries with his wife and son, before rushing down to meet the other waiting Saiyan-hybrids outside. With a silent nod of his head, they all swiftly gathered auras around themselves before bursting into the air and took off towards the designated arena mentioned over the television.

They were all silent and on edge, though nothing of severity. This was a challenging event to be sure. To not only pit their strength against each other at their best, but to do so within a public competition that would be seen and aired for millions around the world, and in front of tens of thousands, it would be nothing short of a reveling experience they wouldn't forget.

Upon reaching the festival area just short of where the contenders were to wait, they could already see a vast array of glistening colors, stands, and people with eagerness to see the grandiose event. Who would know that everyone's spirits would be lifted within such a short span of time?

"Wow, we're here at dawn and I still can't believe how many people are out and about," Gohan spoke in audible wonder, looking around as the oblivious citizens at nearly packing up most of the man-made streets of vendors and stands alike, "they must be in a really good mood about Mr. Cash promising this to be the largest Tournament in the history of the world."

"I wouldn't call it that big, but I'll sure give him credit for making everything appear grand," Trunks spoke in an honest tone, obviously impressed at the distantly designated Battle Island, already showing much more character and design than most standard Tekaichi Budokai rings, "they must want to make this a pretty memorable occasion for years to come."

"Can't believe this guy is also doing this as a birthday present for his son. Imagine what my mom would do with all the money that family had, I don't know if she'd remain sane!" Gohan joked, chuckling lightly at the thought of what would happen to her control freak of a mother if she had so much wealth.

"Yeah, my mother already has plenty of resources with her co-running Capsule Corps, but she insists that this prize money be used for some outrageous vacation," Trunks sighed, allowing a faint bead of sweat to crawl down his scalp with embarrassment.

"Don't pay your mother any mind, Trunks," Vegeta spoke sternly aloud, as they slowly landed at the back of the line, hardly payed any mind by the large, rotund, and various sized competitors ahead of them, "her fickle ideas for dull recreational time is nothing compared to the thrill of battle. Just keep your mind about overcoming your opponent, and that alone will get you the prize only a true warrior deserves!"

"Couldn't agree with you more, Vegeta," a low, stoic voice broke the air as other contenders fall in step just behind the three Saiyans. As the said prince turned around, he observed Piccolo with a challenging smile as he crossed his arms over his chest, as well as the other three human Z Fighters on either side of his wide frame, "I guess you had the same idea as we did."

"Hey guys!" Gohan exclaimed happily, waving at the three comrades he knew since he was a child, glad to see them after so much constant training. With a deft sweep of his eyes, he could immediately notice their new found confidence and vigor, radiating from their beings like energy from their pores, "I see you guys haven't been slacking off either, huh?"

"Yeah, we sure bulked up!" Krillin exclaimed with brimming pride, shamelessly flexing his small arms to show some recent added definition to his limbs.

Gohan nodded with approval, smiling at his mutually sized friend before looking up at the staunch figure of Tien, clad in a simple white muscle t-shirt and a pair of gi slacks with atypical martial art boots, "I see that you've grown stronger too, Tien. A lot stronger. Did you use the chamber, like dad and I did?

Tien nodded with affirmation, balling a fist up in emphasis of the experience, "Training normally like these past six months was nothing in comparison. Once we entered, it was like delving into a whole new level of extreme. I don't think any of us would've made it if we hadn't worked together to keep ourselves going."

"He's being modest," Yamcha spoke out, for once in a complimentary attitude as he elbowed the large three-eyed martial artist next to himself, "I barely got out of there alive. Tien and Krillin made the most progress out of the three of us."

"Ah, don't put yourself down, Yamcha," Gohan smiled with encouragement, giving his scar-faced bandit a thumb's up with assurance, "I can tell you got a lot stronger too. Dad would be proud by the progress you all have made."

"Thanks, Gohan!" Yamcha smiled sheepishly with humble acceptance, before quickly donning a psyched expression, pulling his arms close to his sides as he spoke aloud, "alright! Now I'm going to prove that I've got some stuff out there! With luck, I might be able to make it to the Semi-Finals and go with style, enough to warrant the much desired attention of the ladies..."

"Figures you wouldn't be in this for the long haul, eh, Yamcha?" Trunks commented with a knowing smirk, crossing his arms as he arched his brow in a very Vegeta-like way, "what's the matter? Given up after all the hard work you put yourself through?"

"Whoa, hey, easy man!" Yamcha raised his hands in defense, chuckling lightly at the truth behind his friend's words, earning the bandit a nervous scratch behind the back of his neck, "truth be told, no matter how I hard I try, you Saiyans trump anybody when it comes to training hard. Your tenacity is unreal it makes me think if any human can be a match for you."

"Well, I don't know about that," Trunks chuckled with meekness, before looking at the head of the line, there striking ridiculous poses and clothed in a ridiculous multi-colored jacket, embroidered with his own namesake: Hercule Satan, the supposed World Champion, "but I know of one particular human who wouldn't pose a challenge at all, even if he had all of your training combined..."

"Hehe, you got that right!" Krillin laughed along with Yamcha, balling his fists with his own personal reveling spirit, "boy, wouldn't you believe how popular any of us would be if we get paired with Mr. Satan? Beating him would be such a cinch!"

"Yeah, but its just a matter of who will be picked," Tien countered astutely, rubbing his chin with a grin on his face, "in all likeliness, all eight of us will pass any elimination round set up by the management to reduce the number to a manageable size. Chances are Mr. Satan will fight one of us, and he stands little to no possibility of competing in our league."

"Yeah, even if this was ten years ago, this would still be easy for us to win!" Yamcha spoke confidently with an upturned fist in the air, pointing directly at the arena, "who knows? I won't mind not winning the Tournament if I'm the guy who beats that pompous circus act!"

"The feeling won't last long after your next round, Yamcha," Gohan added with a laugh.

It was then that it was apparent that Vegeta and Piccolo exchanged no words. The two of them locked eyes and stared at each other for a long time. As if engaged in some form of psychological battle, the two would change their expressions ever so slightly, as to see if they could find out what the other was thinking or hiding.

In the end, Vegeta grew bored of the game, rolling his eyes as he pointed a hand straight at Yamcha, having heard the latest tidbit of the conversation for himself, "If anyone is going to win this Tournament, its going to be me. The accomplishment of beating such a ridiculous fake would be abysmal in comparison in defeating me!"

"Yeah?! Uh, well, at least I'll be considered greater than the World's Great Champion, right? Even if for a few minutes?" Yamcha tried to sound convincing, but realized the worth of such a victory was painfully insigificant in the long run.

"He does have a good point," Tien shrugged with admittance, sighing slightly at the obvious revelation they all knew of.

"Hey, on the plus side, if any of us win the Tournament, we can get a title that outshines his, and nobody will think much of him afterwards, haha!" Krillin laughed aloud, thinking it would be funny to see the look on the showboat's face when one of them would win a title as substantially impressive as his.

"I don't think we should really concern ourselves with the fate of that loser," Piccolo spoke tersely and matter-of-fact, stepping up next to Gohan before placing an admiring pat on his shoulder, smiling at the young prodigious son of Goku, "we should just focus on overcoming our obstacles and proving our skill. That's what a Tournament is all about, right?"

"Yeah," Gohan smiled with acknowledgement and adoration to his mentor and second father figure, nodding with a big smile, "it sure is..."

* * *

Hours would pass, and slowly the stadium for the Intergalactic Tournament grew full and maxed out. All tourney-goers who would miss the chance of seeing the fight for themselves would watch from the comforts of the dock-side view and the multiple angles given to them by dozens of video cameras arrayed across the area.

Luckily, Bulma and Chi-Chi were not among the latter.

Having met up with the mother of Goku, Bulma had used both money and influence to get pass the initial crowd and get good viewing seats.

"Wow, this is exciting!" Bulma looked over at Chi-Chi with an excited grin on her face, holding baby Trunks in her arms as it giddily reached for nearby butterflies, "I didn't think I'd ever get to see Vegeta and my big boy Trunks compete in the same Tournament!"

"I saw this coming from a long way off," Chi-Chi smiled thoughtfully, turning her eyes towards the massive viewing screens facing the audience, as the time rapidly approached for the contenders that were being raised respectively on the platforms of a distant battleground, "ever since marrying Goku, I knew that our children would follow in his footsteps and step into the ring just as he did so many times. I tried to give our boy the normal life he deserved, void of conflict and responsible only for his family and his job. I just didn't realize that until recently," Chi-Chi lowered her gaze, allowing herself a small sad smile to encroach upon her pretty face, as she rubbed her belly maternally as she felt her son kick within her insides, "my children are the children of Son Goku. They will be as stubborn, thick-headed, and fiery spirited as he ever was as a boy. I can only guide them to a life they may desire, but I can't force it upon them."

Bulma fell silent as she dropped her excitement down a notch. She knew from the way Chi-Chi spoke, that the brief visits Gohan had with her were very reminiscent to the ones that Goku did when he was off on an adventure or training to become stronger. She was rather accustomed to it, cause her boys never ran off too far from home. For Chi-Chi's family, it would feel as if she was left behind over and over. She knew it must be tough, especially with another child on the way, and no father to fall back on when things get difficult at home.

Shaking her head to disperse her reverie, Bulma placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder, squeezing it lightly to emphasize her concern, "Look, your son is going to be on stage soon. He'd want you to cheer him on...hes's going to need it considering my Trunks and Vegeta are on the stage."

Noting the challenging tone, the smirk, and the teaing wink Bulma gave her, Chi-Chi couldn't help but laugh lightly as she spoke back, "Bring it, sister! My Gohan is twice as strong as he was when he fought Cell! He could take on your boys at the same time, any day!"

"Oh yeah?!" Bulma, getting into the mood, leaned towards Chi-Chi with a wide smile of confidence upon her face, "you wish! My boys train twice, no, three times as hard as Gohan ever does. There's no way they can lose to him!"

"Hey! Keep it down you two!"

"What you sa-?!" Bulma stopped short at the familiar, young man's tone shouting from just a row behind them. She instantly recognized the smooth cut, handsome man looking to be every bit eighteen years old, wearing a long sleeve leather jacket over a band T-shirt, with a pair of jeans and cowboy boots on his feet, outstretched along a few empty seats. Tipping up his jet black cowboy hat, the cyborg grinned mischievously as he recognized who the women were directly beneath him were, "17?!"

"Hey there, lil ladies, how's your hormones kicking?" 17 spoke in a forced country accent, chuckling afterwards as he sat up straight as he regarded the two women, looking at them both with an upraised brow, "you two look surprised? Didn't you two use the Dragon Balls to bring all the saps done in by that creep all that time ago?"

"Yes-well...I mean...seeing you here...is kinda strange...," Bulma stuttered, not knowing what to think of the Android, one of the beings that had been forewarned by her time traveler son, and whom they all prepared to fight to the death, before Cell came along.

"You didn't seem like the type to hang with crowds quietly," Chi-Chi observed, clearing her throat, as she seemed a bit more composed by the sudden appearance of another strange individual she barely met, "from what I noted, the way they described, you were someone who'd rather enjoy a fight instead of sitting on the sidelines..."

"It'd be waste of time," a curt tone came from the beautiful blonde known as 18, sitting next to her biological brother, blankly staring at the two of them as she crossed her arms over her chest, "we'd be too strong for most of these idiots, which would be boring for us to fight to start with. Considering we can't increase our strength like your guys do, it would be undeniably their win when they set foot in the arena, even if we don't tire out like they do."

Chi-Chi and Bulma would immediately tell that her attire change was similar to her old clothes, but different enough to leave a distinct impression. Donned upon her lithe, beautiful frame was a sleeveless blue collared jacket, worn over a long-sleeved black shirt, wearing a similar pair of jeans to her brother's, while preferring a pair of white tennis shoes. The real striking difference to her attire was a simple sweatband wrapped around her forehead and hair, donning a dark red color to sharply contrast most of her clothes and features.

"Oh, that makes sense I guess," Chi-Chi nodded with understanding at 18's blunt answer, but still looked on with interest at the two, "I guess you would like to see how much stronger they've gotten over the past months?"

"Sure, its better than simply missing this event all-together, or watch it from a TV screen like most of the losers back at the docks," 17 spoke matter-of-fact, grinning cockily as he produced two tickets from the confines of his jacket, "a certain con man was about to sneak into the stadium when I liberated these from his person. He's going to take the comfort of watching from the docks, like all the others."

"You didn't have to break his arm, 17," 18 rolled her eyes, grumbling as she remembered how the man tried to fight back, causing the more fiery-tempered twin to snap his arm to discourage the notion, "we could have just let him try and cut us with his butter knife."

"Hey, you wanted in the stadium, and that was the easiest way next to flying in or forcing our way through," 17 countered, smiling devilishly as he pocketed the tickets back into his jacket, as he cast a knowing look at his sister, "after all, you wanted to see your man fight on the ring, right? After all, he went to so much trouble to earn your af-OW-OW-OW!"

"That's enough talking out of you," 18 spoke flatly, a single nerve vein protruding from her forehead as she grabbed his ear, yanking it at an odd angle, earning comical writhing and outburst of pain from the black-haired teenager.

While this earned a giggle from the two women at the antics of the teenage cyborgs, they were suddenly pulled back to the present as the loud thrum of the announcer's voice cut them off from their personal antics.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMAN! WE ARE NOW STARTING THE FIRST INTERGALACTIC TOURNAMENT! ARE YOU READY TO RUUUUUUUUUUUUMBLE?!"

A loud cacophony of screams, shouts, and cheers rung the air as much as any Super Saiyan's energy projection would. As Chi-Chi, Bulma, 17, and 18 re-focused their attention with attentive stares at the view screens, they can finally witness the Tournament's beginning.

"ALRIGHT! CONSIDERING THE EXPECTED NUMBER OF CHALLENGERS, WE ARE PITTING OVER TWO HUNDRED CONTESTANTS ON SEVERAL RINGS OF CUSTOM DESIGN, EACH WITH THEIR OWN OBSTACLES TO AVOID AND HINDER THE VERSATILE MARTIAL ARTISTS!"

Screens flashed before the audience around the world, the docks, and the stadium itself, allowing them to view a series of varying elevated arenas, each one with a unique design that distinguished itself separately from the others. Some randomly consisted of pillars, jetting up and down at different intervals at different speeds. Others focused on a rock-climbing mounted inverted pyramid, where the martial artists would have to balance atop the tentative thin line of space. Some tipped over like a balanced scale, others were normal shaped, but had wide enough gaps that would force contenders to watch their footing during the heat of battle. However, there was one particular arena that designed to embody the old, small Tenkaichi Budokai arena, but had no guardrails or anything to speak of from keeping the contenders from falling off the edge, of which all arenas were placed close to ten, to twenty, to thirty meters above the ocean.

"THE RULES IN THIS PRELIMINARY ROUND IS SIMPLE. EACH CONTENDER FIGHTS UNTIL ALL OF THE OTHER CONTENDERS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE RING HAVE FALLEN OFF INTO THE OCEAN, FALL UNCONSCIOUS, OR GIVE UP. UNTIL ONLY ONE FIGHTER REMAINS IN EACH RING AFTER ALL OTHERS ARE DEFEATED DO THEY PROCEED INTO THE NEXT ROUND!"

"So they're basically making it so that its a group of four pairs of fighters facing off in the next match. Sounds simple enough, but wouldn't that make these rounds really short in comparison to standard rounds?" Bulma asked curiously, not sure how to make of the new and original system of combating the IT competition was making.

Chi-Chi raised a hand up in understanding, easily grasping the concepts, "They're probably going to make each round be individual, allowing each pair to wait their turn before going on. That's probably how they intended to make the rounds last much longer."

"Ah," Bulma nodded, frowning as she cradled baby Trunks in her arms, staring at the screens with surprisingly fixated awe, "seems its a bit dramatic for a Tournament. This Mr. Cash seems to have a compulsion overdo things..."

"I think that's another reason why Vegeta and the others are so psyched. This will be a good way for people to recognize them for the talented fighters they really are," Chi-Chi spoke with satisfaction, balling her fist with a assured tone, hoping this would make up for the fact how shrewdly it was covered up all that time ago.

"I just hope none of the guys hurt that showboat too much. I don't think it would leave a good image for the rest of them after this Tournament is over," Bulma mused, briefly huffing at the thought of what she knew a certain someone would do, "not that Vegeta is going to go easy on him, after finding out what he did to cover up the whole incident..."

"Hush it, gals! I want to watch the fight!" 17 insisted vocally, as he noted the fighters being dropped off at their respective arenas, with most of the screen attention being placed upon the Tenkaichi Budokai effigy ring with Mr. Satan at its epicenter. His shouts and guffawing laughs already irritated the two women, but regardless awaited the inevitable battle to occur.

"AND JOINING US IS NONE OTHER THAN THE WORLD CHAMPION AND HERO OF THE CELL GAMES, HERRRRRRRRRCUUUUULE SAAAAAAAAAAATAAAAAAAN!"

The roar of unified cheers, shouts, and screams of hysterical joy of their savior appearing as a contender in the midst of the games gave them all an adrenaline rush. All but the four kept at their seats, hoping the excitement would die down long enough for the matches to start.

"THAT'S RIGHT FOLKS! THIS IS THE FIGHT OF A LIFETIME YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR! AND WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET THE MATCH BEGIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!"

* * *

And with a finale of thunderous applause and shouts, the battle for all eight arenas began, starting the show of conflict to proceed with intense skill and tenacity displayed between all the various contenders.

Only one, however, felt a substantial desire of trepidation and anxiety, standing among the easiest to stand-in ring. **Hercule Satan**.

Even as he began to move in and around the various martial artists, kick boxers, and street fighters, Hercule's mind wracked with an internal struggle and fear he hadn't felt since the _real _World Champion showed up on his doorstep. He wept inwardly, as he couldn't devise a single plan to counter the apparently stronger martial artists with wit or deception, or beat them conventionally.

He launched a series of hay-makers to knock out a few of the smaller ones, he sweat-dropped visibly as he flipped over a large sumo wrestler before kicking his legs out from under him, and then grappling his arm, throwing him amidst a good crowd of the others, forcing them all off the edge.

As he continued to preform at his best, which was significantly higher than most of the pretenders and hopefuls that attempted to overwhelm him, he couldn't help but inwardly cringe at the upcoming threats to his career and reputation held for him in the not-too-distant future.

"_Damn that Videl! I told her not to answer the telephone, but she did anyways! Mister Moneybags caught me during one of my less sober moments and I agreed to his outrageous ideas. Not only am I not enjoying first class box seats and being denied the royalty service I, uh, deserve, but I have to fight through all of these guys! Talk about a lack of respect!_" The con man thought as he kept up his series of rapid one-twos and quick, nimble acrobatic feats that kept pushing off more of his opponents than he did knock them out.

"Well, I've been in worse scrapes. I didn't think I'd make it out alive, let alone keep my distinguished title of Martial Arts Champion when Cell was around. Maybe the crafty devil in me can come up with something to keep these guys from ruining my day, and just hurt my pride a little bit temporarily," Mr. Satan reasoned with himself, as he spun on the balls of his feet, avoiding a half dozen wild leaps from amateurs before preforming his signature Dynamite Punch into the gut of a immensely tall competitor, causing him to fall to his knees as he gasped for air.

Mister Satan yelled out triumphantly as he knee-striked the man in the chin, sending him falling straight onto his back, as he yelled out in victory, as he finished the last of his opponents in what he felt like was record time, "Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

As the crowd roared, he could hear the sound of the other battles happening around him. He then realized that his stylish attacks were not drawing the crowd, but the crowd being drawn by the series of fighters defeating rows of enemies. As each one showed themselves within the midst, he felt his jaw lower farther and farther down to the ground.

"FOLLOWING MISTER SATAN, WE HAVE KRILLIN SUCCESSFULLY DEFEATING HIS OPPONENTS IN RING THREE!"

The bald-headed monk stood on the rapidly elevating and descending pillar-set stage with ease, as the other unconscious fighters joined their fellow opponents down into the water far below, awaking them from their rude, beaten-induced slumber. He held up a peace sign while wiping his nose with a hint of pride on his face.

"NEXT IS TRUNKS IN RING FIVE HAS DEFEATED HIS OPPONENTS!"

Standing perfectly at the center of the scale-like ring stood the stoic Saiyan-Human Hybrid, a smirk of confidence showing how he appreciated the applause sent his way, and how praised he was for finishing in such a timely fashion he had accomplished.

"PICCOLO AT RING TWO GOES TO THE NEXT ROUND!"

Directly next to Hercule's right was the inverted triangle ring. with the stoic Namkeian with his eyes closed and a hardened expression on his face. He didn't appear even awake, as he had taken out all of the competitors placed upon the unusual ring had fallen off into the water below.

"UPCOMING NOW IS GOHAN!"

As the voice of the announcer cheered, so did an excited teenager, smiling widely as he waved back at the crowd that cheered at him for defeating his opponents on his own respectively difficult ring.

"NEXT TO PASS IS TIEN SHINHAN!"

The burly three-eyed warrior smiled with pride, as he has barely used more than one hand to take down each of the amateur martial artists upon his oval shaped ring, showing a series of unconscious bodies sprawled around his proximity.

"YAMCHA PASSES INTO THE NEXT ROUND!"

"Alright!" The scar-faced ex-bandit raised his hands up into the air, soaking the ambient praise he felt thrown his way, as he stood atop a pile of unconscious and lop-sidedly stacked bodies of his own opponents, "that's right, who's the best?! Me! That's who! HAHAHA!"

"AND LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, VEGETA, HAVING PASSED WITHIN THE FIRST TEN SECONDS OF THE PRELIMINARY'S START!"

As the announcer spoke aloud, the name caused the aghast and haunted martial artist to turn to his immediate left, seeing him perfectly untouched as his own diamond, flat-faced shaped ring stood devoid of competitors. During the entirety of his jaw-dropped looks he gave all the following competitors, he had been smiling darkly at Hercule with a clear malicious intent that gave the man chills up his spine.

"Hello, _World Champion_, hahaha!" Vegeta greeted the man with a dark sense of humor, his eyes rekindling the terrifying memories his personally avowed focus of his aggression had to relive for many nights after visiting him and giving him his warning, "didn't I tell you this would happen?"

Hercule felt his throat go dry, and his eyes widen to levels of hysteria as he saw the sole object of his imminent doom, now confirmed by the contact of his eyes meeting the Saiyan prince's, believing he had completely run out of options.

"CONTENDERS! PLEASE STEP ON THE NEW RINGS, BEING PROJECTED OUT NEXT TO YOURS NOW!"

As the announcer spoke, four racks of tiled-top steel plating moved past their respectively unique battle areas. Once fully extended, it unfolded a large circular arena plate, giving it the radius of twenty meters from one end to the other, allowing for comfortable and aggressive combat to take place for the fighters designated upon it.

"IN THIS ROUND, WE HAVE RANDOMLY SELECTED FOUR PAIRS OF FIGHTERS TO COMPETE AGAINST EACH OTHER! THE SAME RULES APPLY TO THIS ROUND: IF YOU FALL OFF THE EDGE INTO THE OCEAN BELOW, FALL UNCONSCIOUS, OR ARE UNABLE TO FIGHT ANYMORE, YOU ARE DISQUALIFIED! THOSE THAT ARE VICTORIOUS CAN MOVE ONTO THE SEMI-FINALS!"

"This is it!" Gohan clenched his fists with excitement and a smile of joy crept upon his face. Finally, a battle worth his time spent training so hard over these past long months!

"_As long as I'm not immediately paired up with Piccolo or the other Saiyans, I'm good_," Krillin thought with great care, sweating nervously as he anticipated the exact opposite to occur for himself.

"Please let it not be Vegeta! Please oh please not Vegeta!" Yamcha clasped his hands in a symbolic gesture of hopeful prayer, as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly and gritted his teeth in trepidation. To what, he didn't know, but he hoped whatever deity deigned to be bring kindness his way would hear him now.

Tien stoically looked up at the distant, yet very visible large screen hovering in place at the epicenter of the top of Battle Island, patiently awaiting the results of the randomized selection process.

Piccolo kept his eyes closed the entire time, allowing his hearing to give him a clear picture of what was transpiring around him.

Trunks looked up quietly, his fingers tingled with excitement, already expecting a battle of grand proportions to ignite the moment he stepped upon the ring. He only wished they didn't pair him with the showboat personality, Mister Satan.

Hercule bit his lip as the names kept cycling in front of the screen, with each passing moment, making him more and more nervous. His fists, legs, and chest were shaking, in what distant onlookers would think would be a psyched-out look of eagerness. Contrastingly, the mighty _World Champion_ was trembling inside with very real fear.

Then, the results showed...

**Round 1** - **Vegeta vs Hercule Satan**

**Round 2 - Trunks vs Tien Shinhan**

**Round 3 - Gohan vs Piccolo**

**Round 4 - Yamcha vs Krillin**

...and the immediate first fight arrangement made Mr. Satan pale and his breath go silent. Turning his face to see a dark smile widen on the prince of all Saiyans, and a dark light lit behind his coal-colored irises.

Hercule knew when he made eye contact with that man, once again after so many months of pent-up fear and trepidation of meeting that gaze with his own, that this was it. This was the beginning of the end of his career.

_To Be Continued...!_

* * *

**A/N**: WHEW! That was a doozy. Seriously, I have been writing on this exposition and stuff for the past...almost a week, so there we go!

I got a lot of inspiration from my friends on trying to get some more humor and development of reoccurring characters, so I hope I did a good job. I wrote a lot in a short time, I don't know even if my editing it got everything squared away, so please PM me if I missed something, that'd be appreciated ^-^

Otherwise, I'm psyched about this next release! A lot of build-up was placed in this chapter alone so that you would be hyped up for the upcoming fights. I also threw our favorite Cyborg Twins, so involvement for them in the Bojack Tournament Arc is a definite. How much will they contribute? Well, we'll see, now won't we? ;)

Next time, we're going to go through the four fights, and maybe some analytical dialogue from our favorite DBZ gals and our Cyborgs. Hopefully this upcoming chapter will be as awesome in action, if not more-so, than the first one was. I appreciate all of the reviews and encouraging comments! So feel free to leave more comments and such after you're done reading :D

Until then, I'll be also working on a Co-Working projected called, **The Other World Saga**. This will basically be telling the story from Goku's perspective, as well as a lot of other well known, or underrated good characters we are aware of within the Afterlife of DBZ. If you have any suggestions or comments regarding that, please leave it in your review and/or send me a PM about it!


	4. Let the Games Begin!

**THE VEGETA CHRONICLES**

* * *

**Chapter 4 - Let the Games Begin! **

* * *

**ROUND 1**

Vegeta allowed himself a brief acrobatic jump onto the extended ring, before casually walking to the far side of the arena granted to his fight with the so-called World Champion. He had to look over his shoulder, to make sure that Hercule would follow. He promised himself that he'd make the sorry excuse of a warrior regret ever showing himself, if he forfeited the match before it even started.

But, true enough to his ego, Mr. Satan briefly shouted out to the crowd and gave a victory stance, trying to allow the echoes of his tens of thousands of present fans spur him on, to give him the courage he desperately needed in order to face his powerful adversary.

"GO GET HIM, DAD! KNOCK HIS LIGHTS OUT!" The shout of Videl, Hercule's 12 year old daughter from the rich stadium box in the stadium with X.S. Cash and his family, also gave him the resolve to try and find some way to come out the battle alive.

"_I can't let my fans down! I can't let my daughter down! I am the World Martial Art Champion! There has to be a way to beat this guy!_" Hercule gritted his teeth, doing his best to psych himself up as he hopped onto the extended walkway and head towards the biggest obstacle to his career in years.

As he reached the ring, the announcer's booming voice could be heard once again.

"LAAAAAAAAAAADIES AND GEEEEENTLEMAAAAAAAAN! MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE! FOR THE FIRST MATCH OF THE INTERGALACTIC TOURNAMENT, THIS WILL BE NOTHING SHORT OF AN AMAZING SPECTACLE FOR THE AGES! ON ONE END, WE HAVE THE LEGENDARY HERO OF EARTH, OUR WORLD CHAMPION, HERRRRRRRCUUUUUUULE SAAAAAATAAAAAAAN!"

The roar of the crowd echoed and thundered from the speakers of Battle Island, as the distant stadium shouted with joy and ecstatic glee. Taking a strong man's pose, with his fists to his hips, he wore a challenging grin at Vegeta, awaiting a response from his opponent.

Funnily enough, it appeared as if Vegeta's have closed, his own arms crossed over his chest, and seemed dead to the world around him.

"AND IN THIS CORNER, WE HAVE A NEWCOMER OF BREATHTAKING SKILL AND STRENGTH, AND SHOULDN'T BE TAKEN LIGHTLY! LET'S GIVE IT UP FOOOOOOR VEGEEEEEETAAAAAA!"

While not as resoundingly loud as before, the crowd still cheered on this opponent for Hercule Satan, hoping to see a good fight against their invincible champion, before being defeated soundly by him.

How little did they know it would be an exact inverted outcome to what they are expecting.

Still not moving, Vegeta kept his eyes closed and his body completely still. It was eery, especially to Hercule's eyes. If he didn't know any better, he would almost think that he died on his feet, or was a statue, had it not been the slight audible breaths through his nose, showing his state of living to be all too real to the unfortunate opponent.

"WITH OUR TWO CONTESTANTS AT THEIR PLACES, WE WILL NOW START THE FIRST MATCH! BEGIIIIIIIIIIIN!"

Hercule immediately settled into a battle stance, holding his fists close to his sides and awaited his enemy to rush at him, yelling out a battle cry in beckoning to see the man make his first move.

Vegeta, however, despite being told to begin, didn't make a single gesture of acknowledgement the battle had started.

"_W-What's he playing at? D-Does he think he's already won...and that its going to be over too quick for him to care? Or...is he finally understanding my genius of martial arts is too great for him to overcome with those fancy tricks of his?!_" Hercule thought with a nervous gaze, travelling over the staunch and immovable Saiyan.

Vegeta, had very different thoughts at the forefront of his mind.

"..._and if Trunks manages to use his Ultra Saiyan force at me in a split second, I'll make sure to counter that blow and strike him with maximum force. However, if the Namekian tries to use a fancy trick, I'll make sure to flank around him and hit him from his blind spots. Gohan will be tricky, seeing as his stature gives him a better dexterous advantage over me, making him a little harder to land a hit. But he's also impulsive, so it would be a simple matter of_..."

"HEY! Freak Show!" Hercule yelled out, trying his best to shake up his opponent and get him to focus. Failing upon that, Hercule began to give his best threatening speech he could muster, balling his fist as he roars out, "you think you and your pals are all that, but you're not! Without that fancy energy of yours, I bet you couldn't even touch someone as distinguished as me! That's right! I think you and the rest are fakes! It doesn't matter what you showed me all those months ago! I still think you can't cut it! And for that matter-"

Vegeta's mind, however, continued to wander, even as his adversary began to vocally challenge him, ".._if by some miracle I am paired up with the small bald man, _(what was his name?), _I'll just have to take him out quickly. It'd be a shame to my new fans, I know, but I rather not waste my efforts on someone so beneath me. In the end, I believe it will be either Trunks and Gohan to fight me at the final bout. I hope they give us a decent sized arena, cause I plan to cut loose. I'm sure the reward money should cover some of the damage that my power inflicts on the surroundings_..."

"...YOU GOT THAT?!" Hercule finished, huffing and puffing, earning a few estranged looks from the whole audience. While not catching onto the whole conversation, as the battle cams were equipped to pick up the sounds of battle and not vocal remarks, they were a little confused by what he meant. Did their hero know this strange man from somewhere before?

"Hm?" Vegeta finally opened his eyes, realizing that Hercule had a outstretched hand extended towards him and a forced glare upon his face. The moment his eyes met his, he almost immediately retracted his hand, as his eyes briefly went wide with fear at what Vegeta would say. Bluntly, Vegeta would respond, "did you say something? My mind wandered off for a bit, was it important?"

Nearly falling onto his back from the shock of being ignored so blatantly, Hercule got back onto his feet with an angry look on his face, balling his outstretched fist once more, "How dare you mock me! I'll teach you a lesson you soon won't forget!"

"Funny, cause I was about to say the same to you," Vegeta darkly chuckled, letting his arms cross over his chest as he observed his opponent, "this really isn't your day. The fact that you've been randomly selected to face me, must mean that fate is being especially cruel. The irony, is that I can take back the honor that you so sorely stole from me."

"You won't win here!" Hercule stubbornly shouted, rushing towards Vegeta at his fastest speed, leaping forward to deliver a spinning kick directly into the side of his head, "I HAVE TO WIN!"

"Fool," Vegeta ducked with ease, causing the man to stumble a few meters before regaining his footing, "if anyone should win, it should be me. You claim you won fair in square in the past for your title, but all I see is a scumbag who weaseled his way by in life through deception, and stealing other people's well-earned glory. To me, this fight is the fruits of your so-called _hard _labor."

"SHUT UP!" Hercule growled, scampering to his feet, he rushed forward and launched a flurry of snap punches and kicks, each one not even connecting with Vegeta as he used expert footing to side-step or evade his attacks, "I WILL FIND A WAY!"

"You're sounding even worse than Cell, right now," Vegeta reprimanded, as he flipped over Hercule as another over-dramatic Dynamite Fist flies through the air where its target was moments ago. Landing just behind the stumbling Hercule, he turned his face to look over his shoulder, so he could allow Hercule to see a dark smile emerge onto his face. His left eye meeting the so-called World Champion's, he spoke tauntingly, "do you see it, fool? This is the gap of power that separates yourself from true warriors, who've bled and sweated for this kind of skill and strength. You don't deserve to be called a martial artist."

* * *

"Wow, Vegeta isn't even trying," Bulma murmured as she watched the screen with a humored grin on her face, "he's just toying with the guy, making him look ridiculous."

"The announcer must be stunned if he can't say anything at the moment," Chi-Chi nodded in concurrence, sighing as she looked expectantly at the screen, "either way, unless Vegeta is going to play with him all day, this fight isn't going to last long."

The Twins, just above the pair of women, had a different opinion than they did.

"What a bore!" 18 sighed with a roll of her eyes, leaning back against her seat as she crossed her arms over her chest, "can someone give Vegeta a clue and just finish off the bastard so I can see some real fights?!"

"Take it easy, sis," 17 encouraged his sister with a wink, gesturing to the screen in the distance, "Vegeta is just messing with the guy's head. When he finally gets serious, he'll make it a true spectacle for everyone to see."

"It better be, or otherwise this whole battle would've been a waste of time to watch," 18 grumbled, hoping her brother was right about there being a pay-off.

* * *

"I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT I'M SEEING FOLKS! MISTER SATAN CAN'T TOUCH VEGETA! NO MATTER HOW MUCH STRENGTH OR SPEED HE USES, HE CAN'T SEEM TO GET THE UPPER HAND! WHO IS THIS UNBELIEVABLY STRONG FIGHTER?!"

Videl found herself staring aghast, her earlier lingering suspicions being confirmed before her eyes. Being on the sole reinforced rich box, provided by X.S. Cash for him, his family, and Hercule's daughter to watch from above.

"Dad...what's going on? Is what Vegeta saying is true?" Videl felt her fists clenching against the window, feeling herself burn up with pent-up frustration her father wasn't even putting up a decent fight against the shorter man.

"What is Hercule doing?! When is he going to get serious and pummel this nobody?!" Mr. Cash asked with perplexity mingled with igndignation, wondering why the prized world champion wasn't doing as well as he hoped.

"Maybe he's messing with his opponent, making him believe his footing is sloppy, and that he can't hit the broad side of a building?" Mrs. Cash tried to comfort her husband, then realized her wording was a bit off and bit her tongue to keep herself quiet.

"Wow, Hercule sucks!" The Cash's child spoke bluntly, as he narrowed his eyes into a glare behind his glasses, still gripping the Mr. Satan doll with a dragon doll in the other hand.

"Watch what you say about my dad!" Videl growled as she stood to her feet and loomed over the much younger boy with a pair of angry eyes, resenting what the little boy said, "my dad is Hercule Satan, the strongest man in the world! He won't lose so easily!"

"I...uh...I," the little boy stared up wide-eyed with fear at the angry tomboy looming over his seat, only to be saved by a lightly reprimanding father.

"I'm disappointed in you son. Hercule Satan saved the world, and that's the kind of reaction to give him? Shame on you, you need to have more faith in him," X.S. Cash half-heartedly scolded his son, managing to silence his protests about the condition the fight was at. Turning over, he sincerely smiled in apology to the young daughter of Hercule Satan, "I'm terribly sorry about that, Videl. My son can sometimes forget where his manners are..."

"Its alright," Videl looked down, seeing his father angrily flail his arms while the man known as Vegeta continued to barely move, dodging each and every attack with ease, "I already know who's won this fight, anyways..."

* * *

"Hah...hah...hah...hah...hah..." Hercule heaved, feeling his stamina finally reaching its limit as he glared at the disappointed glare of his opponent. He knew he gave it his best, but his opposition was too strong. His muscles burned and his chest rose and fell, delivering much needed oxygen to his strained muscles, "dammit...I...can't...keep...this...up...much...lo nger!"

"Don't pass out on me, Hercule," Vegeta spoke with a taunting tone, allowing a smile to widen across his features, taking slow strides towards the man, "the fun has only now begun."

"What are yo-UUUUUUGH?!" Hercule couldn't complete his sentence, as he felt a pair of forefingers drive up into his mid-section, before propelling him nearly off the edge of the ring. He felt the wind leave his mouth, and could nearly taste the shock of his own blow as audibly as the gasps of his adoring fans. But his tumble didn't end...

"GOAL!" Vegeta shouted in a gleeful manner, laughing aloud as he appeared directly behind the sprawling body of Mr. Satan, before lightly tapping on his backside, propelling the man into the air.

"AAAAAAAA-GAUGH!" As he screamed aloud in pain and terror as he felt himself fly into the air, Vegeta reappeared above him, lightly tapping his back with breathtaking force to the inexperienced martial artist, sending him plummeting to the ground, face first into the arena.

The resounding crack could be heard within a deft echo, as the crowd watched in suspense as their hero twitched idly still. Tried as he might, Mr. Satan could barely move from the few beatings he was given by Vegeta. And not once did he see a flash of light erupt from his body or his hands, showing that the reality of the matter was that he was the real deal. He couldn't deny it any longer.

"Oh no you don't," Vegeta bent down on his left knee, grabbing Hercule by the collar, seeing the man cringe in pain, but no signs of substantial injury, "I've been keeping my gloves on, supposedly, so that my wife and those dear fans of yours don't think me some unnatural freak. For the moment. I just wanted to show you just how outclassed you were physically, before I made you confess."

"C-C-Confess?" Hercule opened his eyes, gulping audibly as he felt himself barely get onto his knees.

"Yes, dear Mister Satan, confess," Vegeta chuckled lowly, waving his hands towards the cameras surrounding him, "this is the moment to escape with a shred of dignity. Be honest with yourself, how long could you really hold onto this facade without being exposed? One year? Ten? You'll eventually slip up as you age, and show how much of a fraud you were in giving these people such a false hope to begin with. This is your chance, and I am graciously offering it to you without breaking every bone in your body, for all to see, including your precious daughter."

Hercule felt himself sweat profusely, paling at the meaning behind this fight. It wasn't a simple matter of saying he held back after being defeated. This was him literally telling the world what he was showing was the best he had to offer. He didn't defeat a monster like Cell, nor could hope to match people like Vegeta.

As he felt tears snake down his eyes, he inwardly hoped his daughter would find it in her heart to forgive him.

"Well?" Vegeta asked with an expectant tone, standing to his feet, "I'm going to count to three. If you don't confess, I'll cripple you. Sound fair?"

"W-Wait!" The World Champion stood to his feet, despite how much his legs protested. Raising his arms towards Vegeta, as the latter man gave him an impassive stare back, "just give me some time to ease them into it! This won't end well if-"

"This won't end well for your career if you leave on a stretcher, fool!" Vegeta crossed his arms, shouting out, "ONE!"

"B-B-But, I-!" Hercule stuttered, begging the man to have some decency to allow him a more eloquent speech to ease his fans into realization.

"TWO!" As Vegeta shouted a second time, an angry glare sent Hercule's way would declare any choice but what had been given to him was out of the question. As Vegeta reared his fists back, ready to charge after his last warning.

"ALRIGHT FINE!" Hercule shouted out, making sure his face was directed by the cameras, and that all attention was focused on him. Raising his arms to the crowd watching him, tears continued to snake down his face, "I AM SORRY...BUT I AM NOT THE WORLD CHAMPION YOU THINK I AM!"

An uproar of confusion became palpably clear across the distant stadium, as well as the observatory box. Videl, staring down from the glass, could only wonder what her father was going to say.

Feeling the piercing glare penetrate his being from Vegeta, Hercule continued in a grieving tone, "I was wrong! When I faced Cell, I thought I was facing a weird guy in a costume with weird tricks up his sleeve. When you saw me get back-handed, that wasn't me slipping. That was him hitting me dead center, as if it was nothing. And that's not all," locking his eyes at the silent twelve year old boy in the distance, he pointed to him, "that boy, stood up to Cell when I couldn't! He fought tooth and nail, and fought him at a level I never could! And then this guy," pointing to Vegeta, earning a grin of acceptance from the Saiyan, as he finished, "WAS THE ONE WHO KILLED CELL, WITH HIS OWN TWO HANDS!"

An uproar filled the stadium, the speakers, and across the docks. If Hercule had Piccolo's ears, he could tell how outraged they were. Some were in denial, almost feeling like he was blackmailed into saying such crazy things. But those in the majority, who were swayed by every word he spoke, couldn't help but feel betrayed. Their champion, the one they praised so much, was nothing but a hoax.

"I know you all are disappointed, and I know many of you may ever look at me the same way again. But I want to let you know that these aren't tricks. The flashing lights, the flying, the flickering movements they're doing...I can't explain it, but its VERY real! Ahhhh," he looked over at Vegeta, cringing at the pain he felt all over, knowing he couldn't last much longer against him. With a sigh, he raised his hand, saying aloud, "I, Hercule Satan, am forfeiting this match!"

As the man limped over to the walkway, heading away from the arena, Vegeta could be heard speaking frankly, "For a buffoon, it seems you do retain an ounce of intelligence. At least your sense of self preservation, outweighs your ego in the end, Hercule Satan," turning to face his back, Vegeta spoke aloud in a threatening tone, "but if you ever try to revoke what you said, or try to find a way to undermine my honor, rest assured, that being crippled will be the least of your worries!"

"I-I'll make a note of t-that," Hercule hung his head, already feeling the wave of guilt rise to the surface. He knew the repercussions were to be paid after this event, and most of all, even sooner when he would join Videl in the observatory box. As he raised his face to look up, he saw a knowing glare from his daughter, "right after I get a book written of how disappointing I am to my fans and my daughter..."

* * *

"A-ALRIGHT, HEHE, WOW! WHAT A REVELATION, HUH FOLKS?!" The announcer tried to settle the outraged cries developing from the crowds, from which Chi-Chi and Bulma saw coming from a mile away.

Despite this, the Cyborg Twins smirked respectively about how the con man had finally been exposed and how outraged the fans were.

"O-ONTO THE NEXT ROUND, WE HAVE TRUNKS VS TIEN SHINHAN!"

"Finally, some people who know how to fight," 17 muttered aloud with relief, with an audible sigh from 18 in agreement.

"GO TRUNKS!" Bulma stood up on her feet with her child in her spare arm, causing the other members in the audience to turn to look at them with startled expressions. Clearly, they didn't think one of the participants that moved up a round's mother stood right next to them, "SHOW THEM HOW ITS DONE!"

"Go Twunks!" Baby Trunks shouted as loud as he could, having looked up to the older counterpart as an elder brother.

"I heard Tien got some training at Kami's ontop of the last six months Krillin and Yamcha have," Chi-Chi tapped her chin thoughtfully, looking over to Bulma as she sat back down, "I wonder if it was enough to match Trunks?"

"Well, we're soon to find out," Bulma spoke with a challenging grin on her face, holding onto her child as she attentively stared at the screen ahead of her, getting into the fight as much as the disappointed crowd was.

* * *

**ROUND 2**

As Tien and Trunks got onto their respective spots on the extended arena, their eyes looked at each other with a sense of seriousness. Both of them didn't know the full extent of each other's abilities, and yet, they've seen each other enough in combat to know their physical habits and tell signs.

When they reached the opposing angles, the announcer began to speak, in sync with Tien's motion to strip himself of his muscle shirt, letting it fly off with the ocean's windy breeze, falling down into the ocean below, "MAY THE SECOND ROUND, BEGIIIIIIIIN!"

"Hey Trunks," Tien spoke first, rearing his arms back, "check this out," as he spoke, he gritted his teeth, flaring a white aura of ki from his body, encompassing him in a vivid manner. What followed, caused the young Saiyan-hybrid to widen his eyes with shock, "KAIO-KEN!"

With a mighty blast of red-white energy wrapping around his skin, veins protruded across the entirety of his muscular body, cracking the proximate tiles of the arena around him. After settling into a stance, Tien leaped towards Trunks, forcing the latter to defend himself from Tien's vicious onslaught.

Each swerve of Trunks head left Tien's arm extended, sending discharges of air pressure wherever the Kaio-ken empowered martial artist sent. Grappling one of Tien's arms and kicks he hurtled him over the edge of the arena, leaping off after him with a burst of energy in his wake in order to follow him.

"A-AMAZING! IT APPEARS THAT OUR FIGHTERS ARE CLOAKED IN SOME FORM OF AURA! IF IT WASN'T FOR MISTER SATAN CLEARING THINGS UP EARLIER, I COULD SWEAR IT WAS A FORM OF SPIRITUAL MEDITATION, BUT ITS CLEARLY A FORM OF ENERGY! AND THEY'RE FLYING, THEY'RE FLYING AROUND THE ARENA AS WE SPEAK!"

Swinging a series of palm-thrusts towards Trunks, the Saiyan-Hybrid found himself smiling at how skilled Tien had gotten. Every time he swung a kick when he found an opening, Tien would swerve or use his arms to block in return, all the while they leaped from surface to surface across the infrastructure of Battle Island.

Zooming up to the sky, Tien let loose his Kaio-ken aura to save his stamina, gaining distance high in the sky away from Trunks speeding form. Forming a triangle with his hand, Tien focused the energy within the space of his hands, magnifying the image for him to properly aim his technique at his opponent.

"TRI-BEAM...HAAAAAAA!" Tien shouted out, letting loose a stream of yellow energy towards Trunks, intending on ramming him head-on.

Trunks narrowly discharged a stream of Ki from his flank, barrel rolling in the air, as the diamond shaped projection of energy struck ocean below, causing a powerful uproar of moisture to erupt from the expanse of water below.

Moving up with a sudden burst of speed, Trunks appeared up above Tien, swinging his knee into the base of the bigger man's neck, barely being absorbed by the collaborative block of Tien's forearms, sending a reverberating shockwave to pop in the air.

Making good on the opportunity, Tien grabbed Trunks ankle and swung him over his head, swinging his leg to kick the younger man in the chest.

Using timing on par with reflexes, Trunks swung his right arm to catch the incoming shin of the three-eyed man's foot, deftly stopping in its tracks, allowing him to swing his own spare foot into the side of his temple, sending him careening across the air and down towards the ocean below.

**VMMMM!** With a well time burst of Ki from his backside, Tien kicked up the water's surface beneath him, and sent him up in the air a good ten meters. Allowed a moments respite, Tien felt his vision swim, but overall felt like he could go a little farther.

Rearing back his arms, veins protruded around his skin, his teeth ground tightly, as he stared up at Trunks, as he poured as much effort into exerting a higher level Kaio-ken than the last one he used, "KAIO...KEN...TIMES...TEN!"

**KRAK-KOOM! **With a sudden eruption of incredible energy, Trunks' eyes widened with surprise that his base form was surpassed at such a level. Powering up, his aura of white-blue looked calm in comparison to the raging flames of red energy exuding from Tien's being.

A high pitched whistle could be heard as Tien jettisoned towards Trunks position, ramming a fist into Trunks chest without any warning, before launching a series of high-powered punches across his person. Each one could be heard audibly, creating miniature shockwaves within the wake of Tien's relentless barrage of fists and kicks.

As one last kick sent Trunks careening into their designated arena, the young Saiyan-hybrid barely halted his crash with a discharge of energy from his front, righting himself up just in time to see Tien rush his way.

Trunks stood up to his feet, not one too worse for wear, readied himself as Tien closed the gap with incredible swift velocity. Upon Tien being a mere five meters away, Trunks ignited his Super Saiyan aura, catching Tien's fist with ease, pulling him close before slamming his fist directly into Tien's face, creating a deafening shockwave that shook the entirety of Battle Island, and sent Tien careening down into the ocean below.

"A-A-AMAZING! TRUNKS APPEARED TO BE ON THE ROPES FOR A FEW SECONDS, LOOKING AS IF HIS BACK WAS ON THE WALL, BUT HE SEEMED TO ERUPT A GOLDEN AURA OF LIGHT AROUND HIM, STRENGTHENING HIM ENOUGH TO LAND A ONE PUNCH KO TO TIEN! TRUNKS PASSES THIS ROUND AND INTO THE SEMI-FINALS!"

The crowd roared, getting over their disappointment quickly, as the fight was one of the best they've seen in any martial arts tournament in some time.

Trunks, however, relaxed his aura, smiling at how far he had been pushed to use his Super Saiyan form, despite all the training he went through. He also had a slight feeling Tien could go farther, but not without risking his body's health, so he concluded to end the fight quickly. Leaping off the edge, he stopped himself just above Tien's body as it emerged to the surface, offering a hand to help him up.

Taking it with a smile, Tien chuckled as he gradually allowed his body to levitate in the air, "That was some punch, Trunks. Ow, I'm going to feel that," he winced as he touched his left jaw, knowing it would swell up later as he flew up to the exit of the ring with Trunks in tow, "but I'm glad to know I could give you a run for your money, if even for a little bit."

"Yeah, you did good Tien. I haven't felt like my back was against the wall since the gravity training with my dad. Your Kaio-ken certainly did the trick," Trunks conversed as they landed on the ramp and towards the exit into the waiting compartment of the infrastructure.

Shaped like the private viewing box up above them where Hercule, his daughter, and the Cash family resided, Vegeta and Trunks got to sit in the temporary viewing space to give them a clear picture of the following fights outside. Currently, Vegeta was looking out the window with his arms crossed, smiling at the reflection as he met his son's mirrored gaze.

"I see you had little trouble handling that one, did you, son?" Vegeta spoke with approval, glad to see his Super Saiyan powers had increased in the manner it had.

"Ah, Tien has come a long ways in just a half year. Who knows? He might be as strong as Goku when he was a Super Saiyan with the Kaio-ken," Trunks responded optimistically.

"Hmph," Vegeta grunted as he slightly scowled at his son for mentioning the name of his rival. As his son came to stand next to his side, Vegeta nodded to the arena from which Piccolo and Gohan stood upon, "pay close attention, Trunks. Watch how far Kakarot's son has come since the Cell Games..."

Trunks nodded, his eyes peering down and his senses stretching out, paying attention to a lot more than what the audience would be capable of.

* * *

However, as the next round was about to begin, a fuming daughter was having a serious talk with her father, thankfully, outside of the sound proofed door to in the large spiral staircase of the interior of the main tower of Battle Island.

"Why?! What compelled you to lie to everyone, to me, about that, dad?!" Videl growled at her father, glaring as madly as any teenager would be to find out what their parent had said was exactly opposite of what was true.

"I-I'm sorry Videl," Hercule sighed sadly, already having spent all of his tears on the way up. Upon meeting X.S. Cash, he apologized personally about the announcement, and how he lied about the Cell Games. Videl had refused to make eye contact throughout it all, and when her father had finally finished easing the Cash Family into convincing them that the fights the newcomers would give would be a lot better than his own, Videl dragged him by the ear to the outside to talk to him privately, "when I came to from the blast that guy emitted from his hands...all of the camera equipment was broken, and the news reported asked me what happened. Seeing those guys out there gone, not caring about the publicity, I took an advantage...one now that I regret fully..."

"Ugh!" Videl groaned out, dragging her hands down her face as she paced at the top balcony step of where the Cash's box was before leaning over it, with her pigtails flowing down towards the endless spiraling stairs below, "and here I was so proud...so proud that I made black belt, that I was going to follow in my father's footsteps. I watched your tapes, memorized your moves, I felt so great being able to help people out while harnessing my martial arts to the peak of what you showed me was the best."

Turning around, Videl showed a look of understanding, no longer angry but more in awe, "Now...after seeing what that man was capable of, while you showing me at your best...made me realize that perhaps your best is the lowest of what normal training is cut out for. Maybe the fancy lights, the flying, all the stuff you once vouched as nonsense, really is something possible for people to achieve. I dunno..."

"Videl, uh, listen," Hercule tried to compose himself, sighing as he bent himself on his knees, while staring her in the eyes, "now I need to let you know something. I think, that if you tried hard enough, you could do what those guys could. Now I'm not condoning the use of flashy lights and whatnot, but that man used nothing but martial arts to beat me. If someone like that were to teach you how to reach a peak beyond my reach, I'd say why not go there. Try to be something greater than your old man could be, okay?"

"Okay," Videl nodded, trying to understand what he said, repeating what she translated in her head, "so find one of those guys after the Tournament, and ask them to teach me how to use the flashy lights to help improve my martial arts?"

"Y-Yeah...I guess," Hercule sighed, standing up to his feet, pointing his thumb back at the Cash's booth, "now, why don't we watch with the Cash family? I hear that the next fighter is a boy your age, and he knows all types of flashy light martial arts-"

"Oh, that's right!" Videl practically shoved her dad out of the way, remembering how enthusiastic she was in the first place to see such a young fighter passing the exhibition round and fighting with the adults.

Comically enough, Hercule found himself tumbling down each and every one of those steps, re-awakening his sore pains all over his body in addition to new ones, as he fell to the absolute bottom of the Battle Island's interior tower staircase.

"Oooooooow..." he weakly muttered from his fetal position, as the next round began.

* * *

**ROUND 3**

"ALRIGHT! AFTER AN EXCITING MATCH, ITS ONTO THE NEXT ONE, PITTING PICCOLO AGAINST SON GOHAN!"

As Videl peered from the box, she stared in awe how composed and calm he was in the face of such a large man in opposition to him. She practically glued her forehead against the glass as she saw him smile, and take his stance, while exchanging pleasantries with the man. The way they regarded each other, it was clear that the strange looking green man was his mentor.

"Perhaps if I talk to him, I can train to be as strong as him?" Videl humored a thought, but quickly dismissed it as she became engrossed into the fight's beginning.

"Go Gohan!" Chi-Chi cheered out from her section, not able to stand up as suddenly as Bulma had, but having enough vigor to match the young mother as well.

"This should be fun to watch," Bulma commented, having been witness to Gohan's previous sparring sessions with Piccolo before, "I hope they both do well."

"Tch, Gohan's already won this fight," 17 spoke analytically, as he flicked the front of his hat, though wore an intrigued smile, "it'd be nice to see my favorite Namekian sparring partner pull a few new tricks out of his sleeves, but Gohan is a league above him. In the end, he's the winner."

"Unless Piccolo finds a clever way to get Gohan out of the ring," 18 commented, shrugging as she stared impassively at the fight, "either way, it should be fun to watch."

"ALRIGHT, LET THE THIRD ROUND, BEGIIIIIIIIIIIIN!"

* * *

As the announcer bellowed out, Gohan had already assumed a fighting stance similar to Vegeta's, countering his prior stances he deferred using when having been previously taught by Piccolo.

"Brings back all sorts of memories for me, fighting you on the ring," Piccolo mused with a smile on his face, taking up his own fighting stance as he spoke, "back when I fought your father, during the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai Tournament. All those times we sparred to hone your strength. Its good to see how strong you've come since then..."

"I couldn't have done it without your help, Piccolo," Gohan smiled appreciatively, "I wouldn't have gotten this far without you pushing me harder every step of the way, and helping me when I had no one else to look out for me."

"You helped remind me there's more to living than conquest and mindless battle. I think its fair to say we've both come a long ways, huh kid?" Piccolo chuckled.

The two then lapsed into silence, as their expressions changed into stoic visages of concentration. The air grew thick with tension, as a gradual flow of ki exited and entered their bodies, before their auras mimicked each other in a show of blue-white. Crackling, the energy electrified the air as the two stared off, and drove the audience in suspense.

Then, they moved at once.

Rushing in, Gohan launched a fist simultaneously within grappling Piccolo's own incoming fist, as he did the same. The force sent a large gust of wind to blow the air down and push the surface of the ocean far below and towards the audience heralding at the docks in the distance.

As a few agonizingly long moments passed as they tried to overcome each other's grapples, Piccolo reared his head back, aiming to strike a headbutt towards Gohan's smaller frame, to break the lock and stun him momentarily to land his own attacks.

The only problem with this plan, as his shorter stature caused him to lean much lower down, giving Gohan the leverage he needed. As the Namekian's forehead rushed downward, Gohan grappled both of the bigger man's arm and hand as he slid underneath Piccolo, with his back to the arena floor. This gave him the pivoting motion to throw him over his shoulders, while launching a kick to his midsection, to further send him closer to the edge of the ring.

Grunting, the older and more experienced fighter skidded across the floor of the arena, before righting himself up, just as the young Saiyan-hybrid did as well. With a stretch of his left arm, it zoomed across the arena with an unnatural elasticity, common for all those within his species.

Having anticipated this, Gohan side-stepped the incoming fist, grappling it quickly as he pulled his mentor towards him with incredible strength. As he delivered a haymaker punch towards Piccolo's jaw, it met the forearm of his free arm, as he retracted his captive arm to its original size.

Twirling his body around, Piccolo swung Gohan in a ninety degree angle into the air, before taking off in a leap after him with a swift discharge of Ki in his wake.

Swinging his knee to catch the airborne Gohan in the ribs, he quickly followed up with a vicious elbow strike to his back, sending Gohan to his hands and knees to the arena floor once again.

Just as Piccolo was rushed down to follow up the initiative, Gohan handspring his legs up in a swift vertical kick, catching the Namekian by his jawline. The boy smirked as he jettisoned his body up from his hands, and launched a dual-handed Kiai straight into Piccolo's chest, sending him across the arena with enough force to smash into the main tower of the Battle Island's infrastructure, causing it to ring loud and audibly for all viewers.

The cheers roared loudly, as the boy had delivered such incredible strikes and held his own so well against the strange look adult, as he smiled confidently towards his mentor's location.

"WHAT AN INCREDIBLE YOUNG MAN! AFTER A SERIES OF TENSION-FILLED GRAPPLES, TAKING SOME HARD STRIKES, HE MANAGES TO PULL A QUICK AGILE STRIKE AND SEND PICCOLO FLYING! THIS IS REALLY INCREDIBLE FOLKS! JUST REAL AMAZING TO WATCH!"

* * *

"Whoah!" Videl found herself more and more impressed by the young man named Gohan as she bore witness to his actions in the heat of battle. Despite how weird a few of the moves this Piccolo used, Gohan had managed to take the punishment and respond in kind.

She wanted to know who this boy was and hopefully train under his master!

* * *

"Wow, Gohan is doing pretty well against Piccolo!" Bulma spoke with an admiring tone, as baby Trunks stared with silent awe at the spectacle before him and his mother, "he hasn't even transformed into a Super Saiyan and he's been doing so well."

"That's my Gohan, always quick on his feet," Chi-Chi nodded with a smile, proud to see her son have grown so strong.

"Heh, called it," 17 chuckled as he looked to his sister with a cocky grin, "when it comes to stamina, that kid's got no limits in comparison to Piccolo. They may be evenly matched at the moment, but Gohan's just too limber and too quick for him."

"Not that I care, but Piccolo hasn't taken off his weighted armor either," 18 spoke off-handedly, brushing her hair with a spare hand while the other rested on her lap, staring at the fight's screens, much too slow to her liking but better than nothing, "but like I said, anything can happen."

* * *

"Wow! Piccolo is fighting evenly with Gohan!" Trunks gaped with amazement, surprised to see the Namekian do so well against the teenager, despite him being only in his base form.

"Heh, that won't last for long," Vegeta scoffed, chuckling confidently at his student's ability to surpass his former teacher, "when they get real serious, I'll reconsider who's stronger than the other."

* * *

"That's some good force, kid," Piccolo complimented with a smile as he floated in the air, just above the ramp leading up to the arena from which Gohan currently stood upon. With an arched brow, the Namekian challenged, "care to take it up a notch?"

"If that's what you want, Mister Piccolo," Gohan spoke back with as much excitement as his former teacher did. Pulling back his arms, he concentrated, mentally pulling up the vast depths of his power hidden within his body.

Starting as a low growl, with flickering discharges of electricity dancing around from his skin, he let out a long-winded yell, as his body's muscular structure enhanced, his eyes changed to green, and his hair stood up with a golden hue. All the while, his entire body was wrapped in a golden, transparent flow of ki, giving him the appearance of a heavenly warrior in the form of a child.

Donning a smile of challenge towards his second father figure, Gohan raised a hand in beckoning, "Come on then, Mister Piccolo. I'm ready for you!"

"Just a sec, kid," Piccolo grabbed a hold of his cape-wrapped shoulder weights, hauling it off him, releasing a groan of relief as carefully let it drop next to the extended track holding the arena in place. Just as Piccolo would reach for his turban, the reason became obvious.

Within touching the surface of the ocean below, an immense shockwave rippled the water, sending a huge pillar of uproaring moisture that struck the infrastructure of the Battle Island, sending a brief wave crashing against it, and a downpour of moisture all over Gohan and Piccolo.

Gohan's eyes briefly blinked in shock, as the turban was let go, and preformed a repeat of the same phenomenon, despite it being physically smaller, causing the young Super Saiyan to stumble.

"W-What was that?!" Gohan cried out wonder and confusion. Had Piccolo's weights ever been that heavy?

"Well, I took a lot of thinking and realized that my training came from using weights a lot moreso than using gravity training like you Saiyans do. As I daily meditated, I sent a constant stream of Ki out of my body, into my weighted clothing, before pulling it back into myself. The process was excruciating, but the results, well," Piccolo smirked as he finished explaining, pulling back his arms in emphasis, as he let out a loud Kiai of his own, sending a reverberating shockwave as a vibrant light of blue-white energy enraptured his body, sending waves of air pressure and electricity flourishing wildly from his body.

The result was extraordinary.

Gohan looked on with fascination, as Piccolo was indeed as strong as his dad was when he fought Cell at maximum power in his Super Saiyan form. To think that Piccolo would find a method of training as swift as using the Chamber or go through Gravity training like he did with Vegeta and Trunks.

**THUUM! **As the two warriors, both cloaked in vibrant auras of light, stared at each other, their grins re-ignited as the two fighters charged back into the fray with a shimmer of movement. Their exodus of reappearance would thunder a powerful clash of two right fists, testing their power against each other, and sending a loud thunderous blast of excess pressure to rain down into the ocean to send large waves to lap at the docks and shores, while shaking the island itself.

* * *

"My goodness!" Mrs. Cash spoke aghast, seeing such projections of lights and noticing the box itself vibrating with intensity, "i-i-it seems your Mister Satan was right. This seems too fantastic to be anything but real!"

"I just hope they don't tear apart the island! I paid a lot of money on this event, and I never anticipated it possibly ruining my work!" Mr. Cash spoke with mixed feelings of excitement and trepidation at the possible damage that might be wrought upon his precious Tournament.

While their son gawked and "ooh" and "aaaah" at the visual spectacle before him, Videl was visually endowed upon the spectacle. Despite the strange change in hair color, the boy looked so confident and sure of himself, and the other green man wore such heavy clothing that it made such a large splash in the ocean below. The yells, the energy ebbing from their bodies, looked dazzling to her eyes.

The audible shaking of the island she took residence within was concrete proof that they were solely responsible for generating the nigh unbelievable phenomena. And so, she anxiously waited and watched each movement as fast as she could, hoping to see what would transpire next and who would be the one to land the critical blow to finish the match.

* * *

"Incredible," Vegeta whispered out, his eyes wide as he saw the Namekian match Gohan's movements, blow for blow, thundering and shaking the complex man-made island as they zoomed across the air with great speed, dexterity, and power, "I can't believe the Namekian is matching Gohan so easily! How is he doing it? Were those weights of his really that heavy that they restricted enough energy for him to gain a boost that high?!"

"Whatever the case, Piccolo has revealed his trump card, and now its up to Gohan to see if he's willing to push himself to surpass Piccolo's new boost in strength," Trunks observed audibly, as he noted the continued flow of equal strength was apparent. He hoped Gohan would put aside his feelings for Piccolo in order to show the true results of his training after all these six months have wrought upon him.

* * *

"Whoa! That Piccolo got a helluva lot stronger!" 17's eyes widened and spoke with amazement, as the audible pops and streams of wind even reached the edges of the stadium. A few cameras winked out from the palpable force rushing to and fro across Battle Island's airspace.

18 nodded with silent agreement, noting the silence the two women below their seats have undergone. Knowing how awe-inspiring it was to see the two fight at such a level, must be breathtaking for the likes of them. For her, it was a power she had seen over and over again.

Now more than ever, she was anxious to see the conclusion of such a visual spectacle of a fight.

* * *

**VOOM-VOOM-VOOM! **Gohan felt his arm spasm from recoil each time his smaller fist struck the larger green-tinted one of his role model. So far they had been dead even in terms of strength and speed. Each time their fists flew, each was parried, dodged, or countered with equal force. The shockwaves repetitively lit up the air with blasts of lightning and powerful gusts of wind that penetrated the ocean's surface below and rocked Battle Island.

His only advantage was the stature difference, allowing him to zoom around and duck around Piccolo's strikes and grapples with much greater ease. As Piccolo struck another equally powerful punch towards him, met by Gohan's own hand, his eyes lit up with a sudden glow, before discharging a pair of piercing beams.

Reacting within the nick of time, Gohan bent his head to the side to avoid the cutting streams of energy, taking a few golden locks with it on the way.

This however left him open to a follow-up punch to his face, stunning him, allowing the Namekian to land a right knee thrust to his solar plexus, causing him to cough out a wad of spit as exhaled a lung full of air. Swinging an elbow to his chin, and then a follow-up spinning kick to his right midriff, he sent the boy reeling away.

Before he could be launched far, however, Piccolo grappled his ankle and descended down towards the ocean, intending on finishing the match within an instant.

Stopping but fifteen meters above the ocean, he threw him with immense strength, shouting aloud, "Its been fun, kid, but this ends now!"

Gohan's eyes widened with tension as his vision cleared, his senses told him exactly what was going to happen a few seconds from now. As his body descended faster and fasted towards the surface of the bucking tides of the water below him, he gathered as much energy as he could muster in order to push himself higher...and awaken his full power!

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" With a mighty yell, a magnanimous Kiai blast was sent beneath him, parting the ocean's waters in an awesome display of force, halting his descent in midair effectively. The flowing golden energy created a maelstrom within the ocean, raising the waves visibly around the mobile Battle Island, effectively obscuring it to those viewing from the distant audiences watching from the docks.

The flash of light and blistering winds caused Piccolo to raise his arms to cover himself from the force of Gohan's release. Sensing the energy being exuding by the young boy, he knew that the fight was over now, clearly outmatched at this point.

With a smile, he lowered his hand briefly enough to see a determined staring Gohan rush towards him with a discharge of golden Ki flowing around him. With mind-numbing speed, the young Saiyan warrior left a wake of force that gave him the audible and vibrant aura of a yellow rocket.

And then...that force struck him right in the gut...from a single right fist hook produced by the Saiyan prodigy.

**KA-POOOOW!** The follow-up aftershock sent a rippling shockwave that sent the raised water flying in all directions, drenching the custodians while knocking some of the stands, the audience over onto the backsides. The Battle Island itself rocked and keeled around as the imbalance level of water was quickly filled back up by the rest of the proximate waters, shaking all the viewers from within as they barely witnessed what happened.

As the announcer, the cameras, and the audience recollected themselves, they could see the golden haired boy calming his aura as he carried an unconscious Piccolo onto their designated ring, before relaxing his transformation back to base form entirely.

The silence that encroached the audiences within the stadium, the dockside, and globally was nothing short of awe-inspiring. What felt like hours was more like seconds, as when the response came, it was the roaring shouts of cheers that sang across the world.

Looking up Gohan felt his ears filled the chorus of celebration and delight in the match they saw, clearly very much loud or as high in volume when they were cheering the former hoax of a champion. Smiling, the boy waved back at the crowd as he entered the Island's main tower, to journey to the private box reserved for the Semi-Finalists.

"WOW! THAT WAS AN AMAZING CLIMAX TO SUCH AN AMAZING FIGHT! I'M TELLING YOU FOLKS THAT EVERYTHING YOU SAW WAS NOT PRE-PLANNED OR SET UP, THAT WAS THE REAL DEAL! GOHAN HAS MOVED ONTO THE SEMI-FINALS, AND ONLY ONE MATCH LEFT TO GO BEFORE THE NEXT ROUND OF CLIMACTIC BOUTS! WE'LL TAKE JUST A FEW MINUTES BREAK BEFORE THE FINAL FOURTH ROUND BEGINS, AS SOON AS ALL THE CAMERAS ARE RE-ALIGNED AND FIXED UP FROM THAT LAST EPIC CLASH! DO NOT TURN OFF THAT TV SET AND DO NOT LEAVE YOUR SEATS, FOR WE'LL HAVE MORE IN JUST A FEW MOMENTS!"

* * *

"Wow, Gohan," Bulma's eyes blinked with amazement, having settled down from clapping, with a giggling baby Trunks in her arms at seeing such a cool bout, "I can't believe he's gotten so strong. It looked as if Piccolo got the upper hand for a minute there, but that kid just bounced back up and took him out, just like that."

Chi-Chi giggled, holding a hand up to her mouth as she had saw the whole spectacle unfold before her eyes, "Oh that Gohan. He's so much like his father, always overdoing things and making an event much bigger than it usually is."

"You got that right," Bulma huffed, crossing her arms over her son, "I couldn't believe how many cameras malfunctioned from that last attack of his. I'm serious, if he's not compiling a list of these awesome moves and just winging it, I'M going to get on his back to make up names for these techniques that are making millions of people cheer!"

"You do that, while I worry that he's not going to get hurt," Chi-Chi rolling her eyes at her friend's insistance on compiling such an unnecessary list.

The Twins, however, were amusing themselves with the results of the last fight.

"Huh, well what do you know?" 17 cockily crossed his arms over his chest as he smiled wryly at his obviously annoyed sister, "it seems Gohan did win that last fight after all. Just like I thought."

"I never disagreed with you, 17, I merely said that Piccolo could win," 18 spoke in a blank tone, raising a hand towards the screen in the distance in emphasis, "he clearly almost did. It was just lucky for Gohan that he had so much reserves in power to keep him from touching the ocean's surface."

"You're just upset cause my old sparring partner lost to the obvious winner, 18," 17 concluded, leaning back in his seat as he looked on.

"Pffft, whatever," 18 rolled her eyes, acting bored despite how much she enjoyed watching the fights.

* * *

"WOW!" Videl shouted out ecstatically, her smile spread from ear to ear as she saw the amazing conclusion to the fight first hand.

It was breathtaking to watch from her perch with the Cash family, as the force exerted from the two fighters shook their box the heaviest, despite how much reinforcement was placed into it. Built to withstand the forces of a dangerous hurricane, but never had they expected to be at the front seats of a battle of such magnitudes.

"I-Incredible! Just simply astounding!" Mr. Cash spoke with reignited vigor, already feeling the disappointment of Mr. Satan's hoax reveal, as the fights of the century were being captured on camera and witnessed before thousands of eyewitnesses and millions of TV viewers, "this may be the single best recorded Tournament in the history of martial arts!"

"It certainly is flashy and fun to watch, but it almost feels a bit dangerous," Mrs. Cash spoke cautiously, knowing her husband's zeal for this new type of sport might dismiss anything she had to say on the matter. Leaning over to the standing billionaire, she smiled hesitantly, "are you sure your next arenas are built to withstand this kind of punishment?"

"Of course!" X.S. Cash spoke confidently, placing his cigar back into his mouth as he straightened his suit with his pudgy fingers, "after all, I do nothing but provide the best for entertainment for the masses!"

"Hey!" The son of the Cash's looked around, suddenly realized that Videl was no longer in sight, "where the tomboy go?"

"Oh, she's probably going to get her father back into the box," Mrs. Cash waved her hand nonchalantly to her son, nodding to Mr. Cash with inquiry, "after all, we did promise them to spend most of the time in the box when not participating, didn't we, honey?"

"Hmm? Oh sure, of course," Mr. Cash nodded with a hearty smile, chuckling as he felt he was in a good mood, all things considering, "after all, he IS the Martial Arts Champion! It'd be a shame if someone so charismatic had to be kicked out despite suffering such a public and personal blow."

* * *

"Gohan, you don't need to carry me anymore," Piccolo spoke suddenly, as his body righted itself as Gohan reached the door, bringing relief to the former student as the strong Namekian stood on his two feet.

"How are you feeling?" Gohan asked with a smile on his face, having been concerned how strong of a punch he hit the old mentor of his.

"I have to admit, I definitely felt that one, but it isn't something I can't recover from," Piccolo rubbed his gut, albeit a lot less sore than before thanks to his accelerated regenerative powers.

"Good to know," Gohan opened the door, glad to have measured the strength of his KO strike so effectively. He had Vegeta to thank, to harness the unbelievable strength his Super Saiyan form afforded him.

As they entered, they found Vegeta leaning on the far observatory window with a pensive look on his face, while Trunks was meeting them halfway with a complimentary grin of his own. Tien himself was taking a nap on the couch nearby, finding himself incredibly drained from the use of his Kaio-ken and the punch given to him in his own bout.

"Gohan! You did great out there!" The older Saiyan-hybrid applauded Gohan, reaching out to clasp the younger man's hand with approval.

"Thanks, Trunks," Gohan smiled brightly back, clasping Trunks hand back, nodding back to his older surrogate brother, "I didn't think I needed to fully power up until the last second. Piccolo really gave me a run for my money out there."

"Yes, we all saw that the Namekian could hold well enough against your power, Gohan, but it clearly wasn't up to snuff with it its absolute maximum," Vegeta spoke in a bored tone, clearly not as thrilled with Piccolo's rapid increase in power. He didn't even recall sensing any force that strong upon the Lookout, or knew of him taking trips to the chamber so readily available for vigorous training. All the more reason why he scowled with insistence towards the experienced green-skinned warrior, "tell me, did you find a way to enchant your armor so that your power would be put under greater pressure, or did you find a way to use your own energy to increase the density of the clothing you wore?"

"Something like that," Piccolo answered vaguely, issuing a challenging grin back at Vegeta, "what's the matter? Feel your position of Strongest in the Universe threatened by yours truly?"

"Hardly," Vegeta chuckled, grinning back with an equally challenging smile, "I just found it surprising that a Namekian could reach the level of what used to be the strongest level an ordinary Super Saiyan could reach. Your progress in strength is admirable, but futile, comparison to the strides my son and Gohan have made."

"If you say so," Piccolo shrugged nonchalantly as he walked to one of the opposing window views on the other side of the fighters' box, leaning against it and closing his eyes with a look of meditation.

"Don't let him bother you too much, dad," Trunks flexed his arm as he cockily grinned back at his pure-blooded Saiyan father with barely contained excitement, "your next fight after this could be against me, so you better keep on your toes!"

"That's the spirit, son," Vegeta nodded with an approving look reenter his eyes, taking his mind off the startling boost in power Piccolo had gained in such a short amount of time.

Before Gohan could add his own tidbits in, a rapid series of knocks banged upon their door to the exit. Walking up innocently to exit, he grabbed the handle and opened it, not knowing whom was on the other side.

"Oh!" Videl gasped as she was halfway to knock on the door when she came face to face with the boy in question, Son Gohan. Blinking a few times as much as the wide-eyed Saiyan-hybrid was, an awkward few seconds filled the air as they marveled at each other's attractive features. Clearing her throat, Videl reached out a hand as she put on her best winner's smile, "you must be the guy who fought last round. Name's Videl."

"Uh, yeah," taking her hand and shaking it with a smile, he blushed at the touch, despite how friendly and innocent it was. Blame his mother for not letting him socialize enough with other kids his age, but this was the first legitimate girl he had met and exchanged pleasantries in...well...ever, "my name is Gohan. What brings you to-"

"I'm sorry but I was really curious to see if I could watch the last round with you guys? You know, see how you handle seeing your friends go out and go crazy, you know?!" Videl stammered, twirling her right pigtail nervously as she cleared her throat, hoping she didn't look or act too intrusive.

"Uh, I don't see why not," Gohan scratched the back of his head with a smile, looking back at Trunks and Vegeta, before looking over at Piccolo and Tien. None of them seemed occupied at the present to mind another occupant entering, even if it was a girl not affiliated with them. Waving her on in, Gohan guided her to the viewing window next to Trunks, "hey Trunks, I have someone I want you to meet."

"Oh?" Trunks turned over, a brief look of surprise was quickly replaced with a smile of approval, seeing the girl clad in her own sleeveless shirt and a pair of black shorts, with a pair of black gloves and tennis shoes, "and you are?"

"Videl," the teenage girl reached out with her own gloved hand to exchange a handshake with the taller and older Saiyan-hybrid with a smile, "I'm the daughter of Hercule Satan, the guy who's the Martial Art Champion, NOT the World Champion."

"Oh, hehe, yeah that," Trunks chuckled sheepishly, as did Gohan, all the while Vegeta could only smirk at the mentioning of anything related to Mr. Satan as he looked out the window. Thankfully, any further dialogue was interrupted by the announcer, as the final match was about to begin.

"ALRIGHT! AFTER A BRIEF INTERMISSION WE ARE BACK! THE FOURTH AND FINAL MATCH WILL BEGIN NOW! TAKING UP THE DESIGNATED FOURTH RING IS NONE OTHER THAN KRILLIN AND YAMCHA! HOPEFULLY WE CAN EXPECT JUST AS GREAT THINGS FROM THIS MATCH AS THE LAST TWO!"

* * *

**Round 4**

The roar of the crowd felt overwhelming to the two martial artists.

As they took up spots, Krillin couldn't help but get cold sweat thinking that his fight with Yamcha would be anything but amazing. Then again, with the progress they've made, anything could happen. This would be more of a battle of tact and wits as it would be of speed and power.

"Hey, Krillin," Yamcha broke the silence first, garnering the attention of the bald dwarf back to the butch-hair-cut, scar-faced man, "let's do our best, okay?"

"Right!" Krillin nodded with a smile, settling into his own fighting stance, preparing to engage his friend and new opponent.

"AND MAY THE FOURTH AND FINAL MATCH OF THE SECOND ROUND BEGIIIIIIIIIIIN!"

And the two combatants charged, immediately launching themselves at each other with their own respective attacks.

"WOLF FANG FIST!" Yamcha called out as he took the initiative first, hailing a number of kicks, knife-hand swipes, jabs, finally swirling his body around to finish with a powerful dual palm-heel thrust strike.

"Ngh!" Krillin managed to absorb most of the blows on his forearms and shins, but felt pangs of pain crawl up and down his skin. The force was undeniable, and the bald fighter knew his enemy had practically evened out in terms of raw power with himself.

Jettisoning off the ground, Yamcha somersaulted in the air before bringing down a dual-ax kick strike, crying out in sync, "WOLF CLAW KICK!"

Darting to the side to avoid the attack, rather than block it head-on, Krillin rolled across the arena ground as the force of the kick indented the tiles. Leaping up into the air, Krillin flew towards Yamcha while charging a dual set of orange orbs of energy in each hand.

As Yamcha dodged to the side, hand-springing himself up into the air before preforming a sideways somersault maneuver to gain more distance from Krillin, the dwarf stopped dead in his tracks and then launched his ki attack.

"Double Tsuihikidan!" He uttered aloud, transforming the orange spheres into a pair of blue-white streams of volatile energy missiles, both of them homing in on Yamcha's position.

The scar-faced Bandit smiled at Krillin's choice of attack and immediately worked a plan to counter it. Cloaking himself in a aura of blue-white energy, he took off into the sky, allowing the energy rockets hurtle after him as he began soaring with high velocity and dexterity into the sky, high above the precipice of Battle Island.

As Yamcha began to flamboyantly do twirls and sudden shifts in direction, Krillin kept the dual missiles locked onto his every move, mostly without any movement from his hands. As Yamcha began to arc towards his direction, Krillin began charging a yellow orb in the middle of his two hands. With only twenty meters in between himself and the zooming Yamcha, as well as his towing streams of energy, Krillin let loose the slow-moving sphere of Ki into the air.

When Yamcha noted the slow-moving projectile, he felt as if he had been put into a trap. And in fact, his hunch was correct.

"SCATTERING BULLET!" Krillin called out dramatically, more for the audience's enjoyment than for greater affect for his technique, he launched a series of blinding yellow energy projectiles to head straight into the oncoming Yamcha.

"Oh man!" Yamcha's eyes widened to comical proportions as he skidded to a dramatic halt, as the two waves of energies came colliding towards him on either side. He only had one card up his sleeve, and he felt disappointed that he had to use it so soon into the match.

"KAIO-KEN!"

* * *

"_Kaio-what_?" Videl furrowed her eyes at the mention of the technique.

* * *

With a thunder-clap blast of crimson-white energy illuminating the bare space between the volley of attacks, screaming out with aura blazing Ki flowing around him. The colliding energies tumbled into each other to create a vibrant explosion, but the waves of pressurized air didn't bother the powered-up Yamcha as he smiled cockily down at Krillin.

"What do you think of me now, Krillin?" Yamcha boasted aloud.

"Not bad, you timed that pretty well," Krillin nodded with approval, pulling back his hands to his right hip, he decided to keep the Scar-Faced bandit talking, "though honestly, you looked kinda dumb when you were rushing towards it. Was that intentional?"

_KA...ME..._

"What?!" Defusing his Kaio-ken aura out of instinct, knowing he shouldn't waste his stamina needlessly, as he flailed his arms in comical protest, "no! I meant to run into it to give the audience suspense and make them THINK I was rushing to my imminent doom."

"So, you intentionally made yourself look dumb to get a laugh out of the audience?" Krillin remarked with a snicker.

_HA...ME..._

"Hey! That's not funny!" Yamcha angrily shook his fist at Krillin at the insult sent his way.

"Maybe...but do you know what is funny?" Krillin asked coyly, as a bright sphere of neon blue energy between his cupped hands.

"What?!"

"This!" Krillin shouted in emphasis, as he threw out his palms, shouting out the last syllable of the well known technique, "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"Oh crap!" Yamcha's eyes widened as he saw the bright pillar of energy rocket towards his stationary form, aiming to slam into him and possibly take him out of the fight right then and there.

With no time to think, Yamcha pulled back his right arm as the tell-tale crimson aura enveloped him, as he shouted out, "KAIO-KEN TIMES FOUR!"

**KRAK-BOOM!** With a crackling burst of energy, Yamcha enraptured his right fist with a great deal of focused energy and punched Krillin's Kamehameha directly into the horizon, thankfully missing the man-made island and the coast, as its explosion substantially caused a significant blast in the distance.

"I-I-INCREDIBLE!" The Announcer called out, as the winds briefly cascaded over the crowd and Battle Island as the bright explosion subsided, "KRILLIN LAUNCHED A BRIGHT LASER OF SOME-SORT, BUT YAMCHA MANAGED TO PUNCH IT AWAY, ALLOWING IT TO SAFELY EXPLODE IN THE HORIZON! BOY WILL YOU LOOK AT THAT POWER!"

"Whew, that was a close one," Yamcha wiped his brow, signifying that he felt as if he almost was taken out by the last blast. Glaring down at Krillin, he propelled his body towards him with incredible speed, all the while gathering a series of energy projections within his palms respectively, "let's see how you take this on for size!"

Krillin backpedaled, hoping to gain some distance from the charging, anger-filled ex-bandit. He found the distance to be irrelevant as Yamcha barely touched the edge of the ring before launching a quartet of baseball-sized orbs of orange energy at the short man's person.

"MULTI-SPIRIT BALL BARRAGE!" Yamcha called out, as he began to gesture with his hands rapidly, greatly sped up due to the augmentation of the Kaio-ken in check, while the series of rapidly speeding, concussive blazing orbs tried to ram Krillin from multiple directions.

"AH! EEK! OH! OOF!" Krillin began dancing around comically as the four balls flew to and fro, grazing him and striking him at multiple angles as he tried to avoid them with a desperation, running out of ideas in order to beat his enemy.

"You give up yet, Krillin, or should I keep pounding away at you till you drop?!" Yamcha asked aloud, an angry vein protruding on his forehead from the earlier insults and the trickery the bald dwarf used on him.

But despite the pounding and grazes the strafing runs of the orange balls gave him, they didn't hurt especially too bad. The one thing Krillin had to appreciate was despite the use of Kaio-ken to generate multiple Spirit Balls, it didn't increase their damage capacity when thrown in the manner it was.

As he continued to hop and tumble around, the balls falling into the ground before returning upwards, making the pattern of attacks dangerous to predict and hard to outmaneuver. Even as this occurred, Krillin found the control and poise to generate Ki at the bottom of his feet as he moved around.

After a good minute of comical hit and runs, Krillin shouted out, "REVERSE KAMEHAMEHA!" causing him to generate a powerful blast of white-blue energy to discharge from the soles of his feet, rocketing him up into the air and away from the spirit balls.

Sweating bullets at maintaining the x4 Kaio-ken for so long, Yamcha persisted and gestured his hands upwards, sending the four orange spheres of rotating power to strike him in the air.

But Krillin didn't waste his golden opportunity and immediately enacted his counterattack.

"Double Kienzan!" Krillin declared aloud, as a pair of destructo discs formed in each hand, allowing him to parry the first pair of orange spheres, slicing them in half, before hurtling the razor sharp projectiles at the balls, slicing them in half as well before cutting straight into the floor of the arena, kicking up a lot of dust and causing Yamcha to stumble back.

As Krillin pressed the advantage to the now-winded Yamcha, he deployed his next technique to begin the end of the match.

"Tri-Form!" Krillin split his body into two other copies, dropping his power level significantly even as he charged.

This at first, gave Yamcha hope, as he amped up Kaio-ken to a times five, raising his hands up in a martial art pose, "C'mon now, Krillin! Surely you can' think I'll fall for that-"

Then, Yamcha's grin dropped at what all three Krillins' voices shouted in unison,

"KAIO-KEN...TIMES...TEN!"

KRAK-KOOM! With a thunder crack projection of power, each of his third percent of his power gained a ten times boost, making them all suddenly rammed at full power into the worn-out Yamcha, each one punching a critical spot: the jaw, chest and the solar plexus.

The sudden enhancement of attacks sent Yamcha pinwheeling along with the flow of Krillin's triad of physical strikes, sending him off the edge of the edge of the arena and screaming in agony into the ocean's depths below.

Upon the dramatic finish, the crowds roared as Krillin re-formed back into his single body, panting with exertion, signaling this by wiping his bald brow line, "Phew...that was a close one. If I hadn't pulled that out, I think Yamcha would've pummeled me into the ground for sure. Who would've thought?"

"WOW! WHAT AN AMAZING FINISH BY...ER...KRILLIN! WITH YAMCHA FALLEN OUT OF BOUNDS, KRILLIN MOVES ONTO THE NEXT ROUND INTO THE SEMI-FINALS!"

Down below, Yamcha re-surfaced halfway, too embarrassed to show his face to the rest of the crowd. Sighing, with nothing but his butch-trimmed head and his eyes he moaned from underwater, creating a comical sounding affect, "Oh maaaaaaan...!"

* * *

"Wow! Way to go Krillin!" Gohan struck a fist into the air, as Videl had been equally enamored by the fight as he had.

"Well, well, even Krillin and Yamcha managed to use the Kaio-ken pretty well," Trunks nodded with affirmation of the fight, smiling with approval, "I'm glad to see they've made so much progress after all this time. It seems their ingenuity and their unique style of combat will be an invaluable asset rather than a liability in the future for us..."

"Wait," Videl squinted her eyes, trying to gauge what the conversation was, as she looked back at the older man and Gohan respectively, "you make it sound like they're weak or something. How much stronger are you guys than them?"

"Well," Gohan shrugged, scratching the back of his head with a tentative smile on his face, "to be fair, until recently, we were way stronger them. Now, we're probably only a little stronger than them at the point they are."

"Some more than others," Vegeta huffed, chuckling at his own joke as he briefly met his eyes with Videl, causing the girl to audibly gulp at his dark gaze, "of course, I am the strongest. Most of the fools around here pose no real threat, should this be a real battle, and not a tournament, bent on rules and restrictions."

"Oh...is that so?" Videl peered over at Vegeta, narrowing her eyes at the short yet intimidating looking man as she put her fists on her own hips, "well maybe if I trained to do the...stuff...that Gohan and you do, maybe I can give you a run for your money, couldn't I?"

"HAHAHAHA!" Vegeta laughed aloud, greatly humored by Videl's attitude and choice of words, enough so that he would walk away from the corner of the glass and step in front of her, giving the impression of just how much bigger he was in comparison to her, "you've got fire! I like that about you. Unlike your father, you also got some latent talent residing within your premature body. Get Trunks or that Namekian to train you, and you might be worth using one arm to spar with you."

Videl blinked her eyes a couple of times, looking up at the nice lavender-haired man and then at the far wall of the booth where the green man whom looked a little like a martian leaning against the viewing glass with his eyes closed, giving the impression he was dead to the world.

"Why can't you train me?" Videl asked with a curious, also challenging look in her eyes, having a desire to learn from the best, and wanting to know why she couldn't.

"Cause, little human, if you went at a tenth of my level of what I train by," Vegeta then added with a dark chuckle, coupled by a glint in his eyes as he smiled widely, "you'd be **dead**."

"Oh...ahaha...is that all?" Videl felt her knees shake, as she felt very real fear run up and down her spine, as she felt there was very real truth hidden in what the blunt boast Vegeta proclaimed to her.

"Don't worry, Videl," Gohan encouraged her with a thumb's up and a smile of his own that comforted her instantly, "Trunks and I can show you the ropes, at least on the basics. Once the Tournament is over, I promise we can start your training."

"Really? Awesome!" Videl fist-pumped in joy, causing Gohan to blush slightly at the giddy display of the mutually aged girl in front of him.

He wouldn't admit it, but it was cute to see her so happy and excited.

* * *

"Oh darn, poor Yamcha," Bulma sighed with genuine pity, leaning on the back of her seat with baby Trunks watching the screen with big eyes as his mom's ex had been soundly defeated yet again in a Tournament, "that poor guy can't catch a break. I'm glad he made it past the first round, but I guess he let his head get too hot for him to handle it."

"Yeah, well I doubt he would've lasted much longer, even if he caught a lucky break in the Semi-Finals," Chi-Chi spoke matter-of-fact, rubbing her bloated midsection thoughtfully as she nodded towards the four winners' names, "it will be a miracle if Krillin can last more than thirty seconds against any of them. Gohan might take it easy on him for a little while until Krillin gets tired, but Trunks and Vegeta might just end it before it drags out too long."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Bulma pouted her lips briefly, before smiling as she met Chi-Chi's eyes, "but hey, he did pretty well out there! I never thought he'd do so well with a technique like Kaio-ken!"

"You and me both," Chi-Chi laughed lightly, "to see Krillin using his brains to outwit Yamcha may seem like a small feat, but I'm glad he's still got his head on his shoulders. He always seemed to be the most tactful of our band of merry warriors..."

As the women conversed, 18 couldn't help but hold a warm smile of acknowledgement of Krillin's victory. She felt proud to have known such a chivalrous and smart man be the one who garnered the affection of her heart, even if she wouldn't admit it aloud, yet.

"Hm, the small fry got some moves too, I guess," 17 idly commented, having grabbed popcorn sometime during the match's progression and held some out to his sister, whom grabbed a handful for herself, "even that bald guy, Krillin, seemed to handle himself pretty well. Maybe with time, he could be as strong as you are."

"Unlikely," 18 rolled her eyes at 17's light verbal jab, but couldn't help but smirk at the thought, "but it would be interesting to have him fight our level, wouldn't it?"

"You're probably wanting him to go all Kaio-ken on your a-AH-OW-OW-OW-OW!" 17 began protesting after his smirk and wry smile vanished, replaced with gasps of pain as he found himself yet again at the mercy of his sister's fingers pulling on his earring, yanking it hard to force his head down on the bordering seat.

"As always, you talk too much, 17," 18 grumbled.

* * *

"Ooooooow," Hercule held onto his back, as he navigated the dark passageway of the underworks for the infrastructure of Battle Island. He knew running away, at a time like this, would be bad news considering the stunt he pulled and the tentative relationship he had with his daughter. From the sounds happening outside and the forces he was viewing, he knew better than to tempt fate. He wanted to get out alive!

"That blasted Vegeta and those damned stairs, ow-ow-ow!" Hercule moaned and swore under his breath as he walked towards the distant light on a casual, easy pace, due to the pains writhing underneath his muscles and bones, "if it wasn't for him, I would be still considered a hero, and I wouldn't have participated in this stupid Tournament! To hell with Mr. Cash and his schemes! I'm going to live-"

As he peered past the glare of the light beyond the exit, he saw something dreadful: The Battle Island was moving away from the harbor!

"NO!" Hercule fell to his knees in despair, comically elongating his jaw as he clawed out to the exit, seeing that the floating man-made island had already drifted out a good half mile away from the docks, making it almost impossible to return back home.

As he bent his head down onto the ground, he knew that it could only get worse from here on out.

* * *

**A/N**: _Whoah! That was a lot of typing to do!_

_Normally I'd wait for a good week to write this out, but the ideas kept coming and I couldn't stop writing, so that's the reason for why this was released so early. XD_

_So what do you know? Hercule's treachery has come to light, but I hope it was done in a tasteful way. With the Tournament barely starting, I hoped Hercule's way of words would encourage the crowd to look beyond what they could understand, and just enjoy the unfathomable mystery of the super powers at work between the Martial Artists and their seemingly bizarre techniques being displayed for sport and their visual entertainment._

_I hoped I did the minor characters right in this chapter. For the last fight I did a lot of research on the various techniques Yamcha and Krillin were known for, and tried to emphasize their unique flair in their last battle, trying to give them just as a dramatic ending as the other two were (excluding Vegeta's Epic One-sided battle with Hercule, lol). _

_I also would like to hear what you think of my style of using Teen Videl. Though we all know her of what she was like during the Pre-Buu Saga, we can all blame most of her skepticism heavily on her father's influence and how for over the course of seven years, had built up a natural disbelief to the DBZ style of martial arts in using Ki to increase one's own techniques and body to a higher limit. In this way, you can guess that development for a mutual relationship between Gohan and Videl will be a lot sweeter and a bit more satisfying overtime, than the rushed and partial-blackmailed one that was seen during the Pre-Buu Saga_

_If any of you have any questions regarding other parts of the chapter, how strong I've made the characters, or how great (or improperly) I handled certain scenes, battle sequences, or comic relief. _

_Until then, I'll write out another thrilling chapter as well as the follow-up chapter for the _**Other World Saga** ^_^


	5. Tabula Rasa

**THE VEGETA CHRONICLES**

* * *

**Chapter 5 - Tabula Rasa**

* * *

As the large construct known as Battle Island floated away from the docks, leaving the audience cheering and excited to see via digital screen what was to come up next, the announcer's voice tuned up and began to explain what was to follow in the coming events.

"AS YOU ALL HAVE NOTICED, BATTLE ISLAND IS MOVING TOWARDS THE SCENIC COUNTERPART ISLAND, BATTLE ISLAND II! THIS IS BECAUSE WE HAVE AN INVENTIVE WAY FOR OUR SEMI-FINALISTS TO PARTICIPATE! MISTER CASH HAS SET UP A SPECIAL TRACK FOR ALL CONTESTANTS! MORE WILL BE EXPLAINED UPON ARRIVAL TO BATTLE ISLAND II, AND UNTIL THEN, ENJOY A BRIEF INTERMISSION FOR THE NEXT HOUR!"

* * *

"Finally! We're going to see the finals up close!" 17 spoke ecstatically, clapping his hands and rubbing them together with a believable excitement coursing through him.

"Great, I thought they were leaving us to die of boredom," 18 spoke sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest, sighing in emphasis, "while the last fights were fun to watch, a vid screen isn't the same as watching it from a stadium. Our heightened vision and senses will make it more enjoyable than any of the fools in our seating."

"Exactly!" 17 chuckled, tapping his foot as a thought came over him. With a distinct clap, 17 floated up into the air and winked at 18 before taking off, saying quickly, "going to go snacks for this! Be back in a few!"

Before 18 could respond, her brother sped off, faster than the eye could see for the audience most proximate to them and left. Rolling her eyes, she knew if anyone would catch on they were just _like the contenders _they were sure to be questioned. As much as her brother would like the popularity, she preferred it was just the two of them.

But, much to her chagrin, the two doting mothers below acted like she wasn't here, leaving her in an uncomfortable position to listen to their latest vocal distraction.

"So...Chi-Chi," Bulma snaked a hand up to push a few of her bangs aside and behind her left ear, cradling content baby Trunks in her lap, "I've been meaning to ask...you know how Goku and Gohan were passively Super Saiyans when they came out of the HyperBolic Time Chamber?"

"Oh yeah, how could I forget," Chi-Chi sighed with reluctance at remembering the phenomenon of her husband and son changing so drastically. Gone were the beautiful black hair and innocent eyes of her boys' to be replaced by ridiculously upraised blonde locks and fiery green eyes. She almost felt disheartened, as if her boy's charming features would be permanently marred by the experience, "what about that?"

"Well...I distinctly remembering you spending some quality time with Goku alone, and I could only wonder," Bulma felt the heat rush up her neck and coloring her face red, as she smiled bashfully, "could you express to me how it was when Goku _expressed _his love towards you?"

"W-Why are you asking me that?!" Chi-Chi felt the heat immediately build up on her own cheeks, as she felt as if this conversation came out of the complete deep blue.

"Oh c'mon, I've had my share of practice with Vegeta, and trust me, when he does it, he goes all-out," Bulma giggled mischiviously, before winking to Chi-Chi, "c'mon, you tell me how it felt to have a Super Saiyan _do the deed_, and I'll tell you how it was for me, deal?"

18 could only sweat bullets as she felt herself exposed for the first time what would be intimate relationship talk, unfolding right before her. While she wanted to escape or tune it out, she couldn't help but find it intriguing. Looking to the side, acting like she wasn't paying attention, she listened intently of what the two experienced women expressed about their past experiences.

"Alright fine," Chi-Chi huffed, leaning back in her seat as she looked up, tapping her chin in thought. When she found a good way to vocally emphasize her experience, smiled softly and began to speak, "well...being with Goku while he was, well, normal was like being snuggled up with a teddy bear that laughed along with you, making you feel safe and secure. When I was with Goku when he was a _Super Saiyan_, touching his skin made mine feel like butter. The way I felt connected to him, it was as if was bathed in a warm light and held it against my skin without fear of being burned. His love was intensified when we were intertwined, and I could almost feel that light fill me up and embrace me in a way I can't describe."

"_D-Do they have to talk about this right now?_" 18 began to feel her face blush as she continued to listen, as inconspicuously as possible.

"Wow," Bulma smiled, enamored by how Chi-Chi almost relieved the experience in front of her, "that sounds amazing. I didn't know Goku could be such an amazing lover. I guess all I see whenever I'm around him is the goofy child I met when I was younger!"

"Indeed," Chi-Chi giggled, raising a hand to suppress her knowing laughter. As soon as she calmed, she then winked at Bulma, pointing at her in emphasis, "now your turn to spill the beans. How was it like with Vegeta as a Super Saiyan?"

"_Oh Hell no, please, anything but that!_" 18 squinted her eyes, but couldn't help but satiate her female curiosity, and listen despite her inward cringing.

"Fair enough," Bulma winked back at her friend, baby Trunks cooing softly as he tried to pay attention to what the two women were saying, despite his inability to do so, "well, most of the time when Vegeta and I do-the-deed, its usually the result from an argument's aftermath. I remember this one time when we were arguing, I can't remember the life of me what it was about, he actually powered up into a Super Saiyan as a form of intimidation. However, I turned that little move of his around and pulled him into the bedroom," sighing, she leaned back against her seat as she spoke with fondness of the experience, "when Vegeta and I went at it, normally it was like a swift deed, with no real foreplay involved. But when I was with him as a Super Saiyan, we intwined with undeniable passion. Being with him was like being skin-to-skin with a burning star, making my body feel incredibly hot without burning up. I swear I passed out from the eruption of warmth that spread from within me when we we climaxed."

"Wow," Chi-Chi smiled, enamored by her own friend's experience, "that sounds incredible."

"I'll say," a bland, dry tone emitted from behind the two of them, as 17 held a large bagel in one hand and a bag of XL-sized popcorn in the other, as his eyes narrowed at the two women, "what were you two ladies talking about? Care to elaborate?"

"I-uh..." Bulma stuttered.

"We were simply, ah, gosh," Chi-Chi blushed with bashfulness as she paled at seeing that they were overheard when lost in their conversation, "we were talking about...ah...eh..."

"Sex," 18, blushing hotly from having heard every word from the two women, with her eyes closed and twitching with irritation, "they were talking about Super Saiyan sex with them respectively."

"Okaaaaay," the other twin sighed, rolling his eyes as he sat back onto his seat and held onto the snacks for the moment, "well, please keep your love lives to yourself in the future. We're here to watch people fight, not knock each other up."

"R-Right," the two women spoke at once, turning away in embarassment and quieting immediately.

* * *

"Well, it seems we're on our way to the next island, for our Semi-Finals," Trunks spoke out with acknowledgement as he saw the docks visibly shrinking over the course of time.

He could already see an excited grin on his father's face widen with each passing second, for he knew, that when it came to fighting himself and Gohan, that it would be an entirely different type of battle. Seeing how far he felt he came, he was positive he was nearly as strong as Gohan, without the additional level of Super Saiyan at his disposal.

As they approached a much larger island not too far off the coast from the other viewing window that Piccolo leaned upon, Trunks began to wonder what Mr. Cash intended to be different in terms of.

As he pondered the possible scenarios of a different level to the Tournament's Semi-Finals, Trunks saw Videl and Gohan walk over to the window space near Piccolo to see the stadium-mounted island.

The island was average ontop, especially with a dormant volcano seated directly next to the stadium built atop the remaining space of the soil, with only two docks, one for Battle Island I and the other for ferries to take the lucky audience to watch the exciting battle up close for themselves.

But as they neared the isle, they would find they would see little to no clear water beneath the waves, with a very large outline of a bulky amount of man-made rock formation and soil, as if they built a city underneath the surface of Battle Island II's proximate shores.

"Wow!" Gohan gasped in awe, with a large smile on his face, with Videl gaping in awe as well. The two of them had never seen such a large stadium on such a small piece of land. And from what little they could see on the passing tides of water Battle Island sailed across, this was very much an expensive venture, "I can't believe Mister Cash went to all of the trouble of making this Tournament so big!"

"I think I heard my dad talking to Mr. Cash about that," Videl spoke knowledgably, locking her eyes briefly with Gohan's as she explained with an upraised hand, "due to what the Cell Games did and how it shook up a lot of people, I believe Mr. Cash was intending for this event be the model for all new Tournaments. Not only would this be a yearly thing for the whole world to watch, it would get people back into Martial Arts."

"Ohhhh," Gohan nodded as he listened attentively to Videl, interested to see this new line of how the industry had intended to make Martial Arts Tournaments more dynamic and inspiring for those around the world.

"But, I'm not sure how this is going to turn out," Videl huffed, turning her gaze she leaned her forehead against the glass as she glared at her own reflection and the growing visage of Battle Island II, "this whole thing initially hinged on my dad winning, as a sign of morale boost for the majority of the public and inspired by the World Champion. Now that he admitted he lied on global television on this big of an event, I'm sure my dad's going to be hunted down by the paparazzi and eat him alive. He might even get kicked out of the nice mansion the city gave us, and cancel construction of Satan City..."

"W-Wait a minute!" Gohan stood agape, his eyes bulging to comical proportions as he asked incredulously, "your dad was going to have a CITY built after his name?!"

"Yeah, I know, a bit much, right?" Videl turned her face to dryly stare back at Gohan with affirmation.

"_Just goes to show you how much of an arrogant fool that Hercule is_," Piccolo thought with his eyes closed, while remaining totally aware of the conversations unfolding around him, still leaning proximately close to the two young martial artists.

"Well, I guess they're probably going to call it _Vegeta City_, now right?" Gohan chuckled at the idea of an entire city dedicated to Vegeta.

"Don't be absurd," Vegeta's voice suddenly spoke from across the room as he walked towards the two young teenagers, a bored expression crossing his sharp angled brow lines, "if those Earthlings try to construct a city for me, it'll just prove how stupid and whimsical they are. I'll turn it to dust if they dare try to make a sign with my name on it," with his eyes fixated on the upcoming Battle Island counterpart to the one they sailed within, Vegeta spoke with a smile on his face in finality, "after all, my honor has been restored after claiming what was rightfully mine and depriving that fool of his falsely acclaimed title. My dominance doesn't need a statue or a city to ensure its survival. My own fists will assure of that remains clear!"

"I...uh...sure...whatever you say," Videl stared nervously at the confidently grinning man, realizing just how scary a man this Vegeta was. Though one thing boggled her mind: Why did she refer to humans as _Earthlings _so derogatorily? What did that make him, and these other extraordinary unreal warriors?

Videl's thoughts would be shook out of reverie as they felt Battle Island I docking with Battle Island II.

The moment of truth is at hand, to see what Vegeta's true power is capable of for her own eyes, that had slain Cell.

* * *

Upon the final docking procedures being completed of Battle Island linking up with Battle Island II, the crowd began cheering with incredible enthusiasm and volume. It shook the air, as the Semi-Finalists walked a dynamic extension plank to go through a tunnel that delved into the base of the stadium, in order to be the center of it all.

Those participants that lost including the Cash Family, stayed behind their designated Obvservatory Boxes, especially since how thunderous and vibrant the battles had been recently. The Cash families found comfort, while the Z Fighters and Videl found irritation.

Gohan and Videl exchanged fist-bumps, showing her trust in the mysteriously powerful boy, and Gohan in becoming fast friends with the excitable and experienced human martial artist his own age.

As he traversed through the dark tunnel, he felt himself thinking of her, blushing at the idea of him being friends with such a likable and mutual minded martial artist, his own age no less. But as he exited the tunnel, the thunderous roar of the entire stadium's crowd shook him out of his reverie and induced awe from the sheer size of the stadium.

"A fitting stage for my victory," Vegeta smiled with satisfaction, crossing his arms as he soaked in every iota of the culminated voices filling the theater's airspace, "let the whole planet know that I, Vegeta, am the strongest warrior in the Universe!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, dad," Trunks spoke with a challenging tone, cockily smirking at his father's direction, as he balled up a fist for emphasis, "you haven't won this thing yet, and you've yet to see what Gohan and I are capable of!"

"Ha! I'm pretty sure you've got your own tricks, Trunks, but I'm pretty sure since I've trained alongside you two, I can handle anything you throw my way," Vegeta turned his gaze to his son and lastly to Gohan, clearly believing he could beat either of them with ease.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Vegeta," Gohan thought with confidence, placing his own hands on his hips with pride as he looked up at the immense stadium, "I'm going to show you the true results of my training!"

"Why do I feel so out of place here?" Krillin grumbled as he, besides Gohan, was the smallest and was feeling considerably outclassed. It was only by sheer luck he hadn't been paired up with one of the other Saiyans, let alone with Tien, whom he felt was far stronger than himself, "oh well, no turning back now!"

"GREETINGS CONTESTANTS! PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE TOP OF THE PYRAMID IN FRONT OF YOU NOW!"

"That's our cue," Gohan spoke with eagerness, causing all four of the fighters to instinctively fly up to the top of the structure and stand on either corner of the tall man-made structure.

"THESE ARE THE RULES! YOU WILL BE GIVEN A DESIGNATED NUMBER TO ENTER ONE OF THE FOUR SPACE JETS TO TAKE YOU TO A DESGINATED ARENA! THERE, YOU WILL FACE ONE OF FOUR DANGEROUS SPACE ALIENS!"

The screens surrounding the four contestants suddenly lit up, showing a series of ridiculously clothed, painted, and obviously human contestants rolling down a escalator.

"Obviously they must be part of Hercule's band of misfit disciples," Krillin surmised as he narrowed his eyes at the aliens figures disappear from the screen, before showing a digital animation of themselves on the screen.

"ONCE YOU WIN YOUR BATTLE, YOU MUST MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE CENTRAL LIFT, WHICH WILL TAKE YOU DIRECTLY BACK UP HERE! THE FIRST TWO TO MAKE IT HERE WILL FIGHT FOR THE TITLE, AND WILL BE KNOWN AS THE INTERGALACTIC CHAMPION OF THE FIRST INTERGALACTIC TOURNAMENT!"

As their numbers came in, each of them saw their particular names come up with designated "space-jets" that were selected for them.

Krillin, as hopeful as ever, raised his hands with glee, "Perfect! Its a race! Which means I'll have the advantage!"

"How so?" Trunks asked, clearly curious how the monk had an advantage over the other three Saiyans.

Pointing at himself with a chuckle, Krillin proclaims, "I have the least wind resistance, so I'll naturally go faster than the rest of you."

"But Krillin, we're practically the same height," Gohan noted with a sheepish grin, scratching the back of his head in emphasis, "that kind of logic won't work here."

"Uh..." Krillin groaned.

"That, and the fact we have much higher power levels means that we'll leave you in the dust," Vegeta spoke aloud with confidence, grinning darkly at Krillin, "which means you're most likely going to be dead last out of all of us."

"Oh man..." Krillin sighed in defeat.

"I guess it would've worked against Tien and Yamcha, but we're a lot faster than they are. Plus, don't you think it will be a good thing if you let Vegeta go ahead of you? If you somehow make it through your fight, you might have to fight him by yourself," Trunks pointed out.

"Y-Yeah, I'm just going to get in my space jet," Krillin turned around and walked towards his designated coaster that will take him to his own arena.

As all four fighters walked to their cockpits, they were graced with respectively high volumed shouts from the currently anticipating crowd.

"C'MON TRUNKS! SHOW YOUR DAD WHO'S BOSS!" Bulma shouted with encouragement, standing up with his younger counterpart in arms, waving his own arms in earnest.

"Go Unkie Twunks!" Baby Trunks said in his best shout his young voice could muster.

"Thanks for the support, woman," Vegeta rolled his eyes at his wife's cheers for his son, rather than for himself. Not like he needed it, but a little verbal support would have spurred him on.

With a shrug, Vegeta entered his colorfully designed rocket as Trunks smiled at his mother before doing the same.

"GO GOHAN! SHOW THEM YOUR STUFF!" Chi-Chi stood up, shouting as loud as Bulma.

This action caused her son to smile with appreciation, if not blushing slightly with clear embarassment, even as he made his way into the retro designed so-called space jet, "Way to be subtle, mom..."

"Krillin!"

A female voice spoke spoke out that seemed to have a level montone that only Krillin would recognize above all the others. As he turned around, he saw 18, standing up and giving him a thumb's up, using her enhanced vocal chords to convey her message verbally louder than the others.

"Knock those Saiyans dead for me, okay?!" She said with a smirk and a wink.

"Y-Yes maam!" Krillin felt like a thousand bucks, as he saluted goofily at the woman of his heart's desire, before hopping into his own cockpit, as he latched onto his shoulders and closed over his head.

"NOW ALL CONTESTANTS ARE BUCKLED IN, WE WILL NOW BEGIN THE COUNT DOWN!"

"Did you really just do that?" 17 asked 18 incredulously, already earning a blush of bashfulness and a scowl of irritation as she sat down.

"TEN..."

"It seemed the guy needed a little support, considering how outmatched as he was," 18 explained, turning her face away to hide the crimson flush enveloping her visage, "it'd be a shame if he didn't fight his hardest if he didn't know someone was standing up for him, even if he's going to lose."

"NINE..."

"Ahhhh, so you admit you like him, eh?" 17 smiled wryly, enjoying seeing his twin squirm so visibly in front of him.

"EIGHT..."

"Do you want me to hurt you?!" 18 glared daggers at 17, causing her brother to raise his hands in resignation.

"SEVEN..."

"Fine, I was just wanting to know the main reason for going here, so I thought that confirmed it for me, really," 17 shrugged as he leaned back while rolling his eyes.

"SIX..."

This gave 18 enough satisfaction that she turned her head to stare impatiently at the flickering screen, and the brightly smiling face of Krillin as he practically bounced in his seat.

"FIVE..."

Smiling, 18 couldn't help but feel genuine admittance enter her mind that she did feel something for the bald, short man of insignificant power.

"FOUR..."

It wasn't his attraction for her, which was obvious, or his own good looks, for which he was outclassed by many surrounding him.

"THREE..."

It was that pure spirit of goodness, that believed beyond what was said to be a killing machine, wearing the skin of a woman, was a true human being.

"TWO..."

He wished away the thing that robbed them of their potential suicide, and attempt to bridge them that much closer to humanity, moreso than Dr. Gero or Cell ever could with their own selfish desired plans.

"ONE..."

In the end, he loved her for who she was, and not what she was created to be. In that aspect, she knew that in the time she spent seperated, she too became fond of him. And maybe, just maybe, she was also in love.

"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

And just like that, 18's eyes drew to the watchful eyes of the bald-headed dwarf, exchanging a mutual twinkling that shared from the bottom of her soul in return from his, as his rocket jettisoned off into the designated tunnel and off to his fight.

She knew, once this was over, she and Krillin, were going to talk about each other...and what the future, may bring for them both.

* * *

As the four rockets burst through a digitally alight world of wonder and visual appeal, Gohan felt his blood pump, and his eyes gaze with awe at the incredibly spectacular light show. His rocket, while it was cruising through an intricate tunnel of ordinary carved rock, was being projected with billions of light particles to imitate a number of digitally aligned projections.

One moment, he felt like he was flowing through an ocean, as whales, fish, and sharks flew by him and dissolved harmlessly across his craft as he zoomed along the designated path of his rocket.

Another, he saw a prehistoric jungle unfold before him, and many bizarre creatures of reptilian and mamallian species walked, leaped, roared, and moved around him as he kept travelling forth.

The scenery kept changing to things of both familiarity, and then things of abstract wonder and excitement. Every new change in the environment was as exciting to look at as the last one that scrolled on and transformed before him. He felt like he was within an amusement park ride!

Then, his rocket lurched and bent, suddenly moving up towards a oval of light up ahead, an unnerving field passed through the rocket and over his body. His vision briefly blacking out, he shook his head, before opening his eyes, seeing that the rocket was careening out of control and into a giant teddy bear...

"OH CRAP!" Gohan shouted in surprise, as he instinctively burst out of the rocket with a blast of white-blue energy. Plainly ignoring the fact he wrenched the seat belts out with him and smashed through the glass, he covered his eyes at the explosion the rocket made when it crashed into the plaster-made stuffed animal.

As he hovered in the middle of space, he stroked his brow with his right forearm, sighing in relief, "That would've been unpleasant. Now," Gohan looked around with an incredulous look of fascination and confusion, "where am I?"

Gohan's arena, looks more childish than inviting.

The now smoldering house-sized teddy bear, was just one of many stuffed-looking animals surrounding the vast arena, along with number blocks, dolls, and other enlarged kid play things. It was sure to be a quarter of a mile long in each direction, and it stretched out towards a dark tunnel beyond, with a golden brick road paving the path to the exit.

"This could make a good ambush for my opponent to catch me off guard. This might be interesting after all," Gohan mused as he lowered himself down gently onto the yellow brick path, marveling at the various bigger-than-life toys surrounding his path, "I can't believe Mr. Cash would build this with a battle in mind. I wonder what he originally intended this to-"

Before Gohan could take more than a dozen steps, he found himself leaping to the side, avoiding a lime-white orb of energy launched at his direction, creating a deafening explosion that blew up several house-sized stuffed animals to his left.

"_A Ki blast?!_" Gohan thought, as he distinctly felt the energy come towards him, and the weird presence he felt as he was passing through. There was no mistaking it: whoever was his opponent, was not human!

Skidding across the ground on his heels to distance himself from the marred toys, Gohan directed his eyes to see the attacker.

The man was covered in bright red jacket, a pair of white-blue slacks, adorned with a pair of yellow boots. What made the man's appearance that much stranger, was that his height couldn't be much different from Krillin's, a blue head-wrap turban covering all of his skull except for his face, which showed blue-tinted skin.

Gohan glared at the man, already sensing great dark energy coming from his body. It was the same sensation he got from beings like Nappa and Recoome. This man was evil, and he intended to have killed Gohan with that blast.

None-the-less, Gohan gave the man a cocky grin as he placed himself into a fighting stance, "You know, its impolite to attack your opponent without introducing yourself, don't you think?"

"If this was the schedule bout you were promised, perhaps," the small being spoke in a poisonously high pitched tone, all the while as he crossed his arms over his colorfully adorned attire covering his chest, "but this is a battle of life and death. But if it makes you more comfortable about passing onto the next life, I will tell you."

"Alright then, let's hear it," Gohan goaded the short man, ready for anything he had to throw his way.

Unfortunately, he didn't expect to find a fist driving into his unprotected back, with a resounding blast of air pressure released from the point of contact. The force caused Gohan to widen his eyes in pain, as the force was much more than he expected from a man that size, and without him sensing hsi movement, as he plainly was right where he was-

As Gohan tumbled forward, he saw that the man wasn't there anymore, and he was clearly standing right where Gohan had skidded over to, as he crashed into a series of blocks that fell over his body, visibly pinning him onto the ground.

"My name is Bujin, and your executioner, Son Gohan," Bujin cackled.

"RRRRRRRAAAAAAAAH!" Gohan roared out, unleashing a golden stream of energy to disintegrate the blocks and send the others flying away. When he lowered his eyes back upon Bujin, he glared with anger in his eyes as he growled out, "how do you know who I am?!"

"Oh poor Saiyan," Bujin began as he sighed, waving his arms nonchalantly, "that's for me to know, and for you to not. After all, before this is all over..."

With another resounding crack against Gohan's jaw, he found that his eyes didn't match up with the movement of Bujin at all. His body careened across the air, but not before being struck repeatedly at all sides, making him dizzy with how incapable he was of tracking his movement as he continued to be pummeled from all sides.

"...you're going to die!"

* * *

As Trunks walked across a hillside his own rocket had crash landed upon, he couldn't help but squint uncomfortably at the artificial sunshine cascading across the landscape.

"Okaaaaaay," Trunks looked around awkwardly, as stood amidst a hill upon a tree-filled meadow, just beyond a small river bordering a small city block's worth of skyscrapers and uninhabited stores and such. Just beyond was a visible street that veered into a hole in the distance, obviously the direction to get to the lift after the fight, "why did I get the peaceful looking arena? Am I supposed to take a nap or fight?"

Before Trunks could answer that question, a thin layered wave of lime-green energy flew towards his neck, intending on decapitating him within an instant.

Trunks' eyes widened, as he didn't sense the energy source and the beam until he saw come towards him.

Bending his back, he felt the heat of the energy slash that passed above him, narrowly avoiding the attack with instinct and trained reaction timing.

What he wasn't prepared for, was the knee that slammed into the side of his skull.

"AH!" Trunks felt his vision spin as his temple throbbed, feeling his body spin out of control as he tried to right himself, clawing at the ground before slamming through a tree behind his back, causing him to grunt with the impact.

Looking up, he would see an unusual looking opponent, from what he had expected seeing the viewing screen minutes before.

He was tall, broad shouldered, and had an arrogant air about him. He crossed his arms over his chest, only partly revealed beneath his black billowy jacket, with a red sash wrapped over his left shoulder that matched his red headband wrapped over his forehead. Besides the satin white slacks and yellow-black boots, the only thing that stood out to Trunks was the triangular shaped guarded sword sheathed on his right hip and the man's obviously alien blue complexion and orange hair.

He wore a sinister smile as he observed Trunks whom was obviously in pain and confused, "Sorry, Saiyan. Your original competitor met an untimely end and I had to step in for his bout. Its unlucky for you that you had to be that victim I will slaughter!"

"I'm not dead yet!" Trunks growled as he flexed his arms in front of him, growling out, before roaring mightily as a powerful aura of golden flame-like energy burst forth from his being. His emerald eyes glared at the blue-black ones of the enemy in front of him, as his hair electrified and turned into a golden-blonde that coursed with electricial pulses stemming from his skin, "come on then!"

"Hahahaha, with pleasure!" The orange-haired assassin jumped forth, one hand gripped to his side in preparation, while the other palmed a emerald-black orb of energy.

When the alien leaped towards Trunks with a left hook to his face, Trunks responded in kind by leaning his head deftly to the side to avoid the punch while reaching out to strike the man in his own jaw with ease.

Unfortunately, this wasn't to be the case.

WHAM! Trunks felt his eyes widen as the fist that he clearly saw miss his face, strike him dead in to nose and lips, propelling him back across the air, stunning him long enough to recieve the energy bullet released by his enemy.

With a powerful explosion, Trunks felt himself propel across the air, striking a building far away from the meadow, and smashing into the unoccupied, barren rooms behind the glass of the tinted, artificial constructs. He felt blood drip from his nostril and his now split lips, now confirming his suspicions.

"He's as strong as a Super Saiyan, and he can somehow can move faster than my eyes can see," Trunks thought as he stood up, trying to hide his own energy to avoid direct contact from the rapidly approaching assassin, "who the Hell is this guy? How did he enter the Tournament without anyone noticing? This isn't going to end well, I can count on that much happening..."

"Where are you, Super Saiyan? Huh?!" The alien crowed out, a clear grin of superiority crossing his features as he looked at the building of which Trunks had smashed into, peering in to see if he had survived.

With a rapid series of hand gestures, Trunks grinned as a sphere of crackling, fiery energy formed in front of his outstretched palms, causing his enemy to widen his eyes in shock as Trunks grinned viciously back.

"BURNING BLAST!" Trunks yelled out, discharging a man-sized sphere of fire-emblazoned Ki at his nemesis, ripping apart the ceiling and surrounding glass as it aimed to destroy its target in one final blow.

**BOOM!** Trunks' eyes widened with shock, as the explosion happened directly within the building, and the force of the fire produced from the blast struck him full force, sending him streaking back through the building and smashing through several others behind him, creating visibly awesome bursts of glass and building tops to collapse upon itself from the force the Saiyan-hybrid had been flown through.

"That was a close one, Super Saiyan," the alien swordsman spoke aloud with a sadistic grin, as his left hand had been outstretched, steaming from the crimson beam he discharged at the last second to detonate the blast before it reached him, "had it not been for your current _condition_, you might have seen me ready to counter your blast. But it matters not," grasping the blue-threaded hilt of his sword, he unsheathed it with a grating, menacing sound as it fully left its scabbard, taking an unearthly shine to it as its wielder flourished it with pride, "for my name is Kogu. And I never leave anything to chance. I'll kill you quickly before you can get a chance to fight back!"

* * *

"Ah-Ah-Ah, hot-hot-hot-hot!" Krillin hopscotched around what appeared to be a magma-formed bed of rock, as his own waxed head was suffering from flames of the now burning rocket, that had the unfortunate circumstance of crashing into a river of very REAL lava!

"Is Mister Cash insane?!" Krillin hissed out as he finally defused the flames that sizzled comically ontop of his head. Crossing his arms over his chest, he huffed, "had it been anyone else, they probably be in some real pain right about now."

Fully taking in the atmosphere for the arena he had been randomly selected, he could only gape at what he had landed within. This must have been one of the few very real parts of the large volcano that the eccentric billionaire had salvaged, and turned it into a constant-oscilating river of magma, in hopes of creating a vibrant battlefield.

Amidst this wreckage, Krillin could see a distant tunnel along the far magma plateau beyond, detailing the next place to go after the battle was finished.

"Hmm, I wonder who my combatant is? They're probably wishing they didn't come here to wait for me. The heat is unbearable," Krillin waved a hand casually over his face, as he felt the stifling atmosphere was quite common for something that had a stream of lava coursing through it.

From behind the mist itself, a vague outline could be seen, waiting patiently in an upright fashion.

"So, you're my opponent, huh?" Krillin called out, immediately assuming a battle stance, with his body crouching down and prepared for anything.

However, unlike the other three fighters the contestants had to face, this one didn't respond immediately, nor did it acknowledge him verbally. It was eery, and yet, an assumed semblance of polite courtesy.

Standing back up to a casual upright stance, Krillin smiled, hoping he found a more respectable opponent. Taking a few steps forward, Krillin began introducing himself, "My name is Krillin, and I guess we're going to be fighting. Could you possibly tell me your na-na-na-naaaaaaaame?!"

Krillin stuttered like an idiot, as what hid behind the stream was revealed as the wispy hot moisture billowed away, revealing a beautiful woman behind it. While the red-hue colored atmosphere had turned the alien's skin from a radiant blue into a lime-yellow hue, her figure and curly, thigh-long orange hair made up for that.

She wore a pair of dark forearm sleeves separate from a white open-buttoned sleevless jacket, revealing a dark blue cloth bra wrapped firmly around her upper chest, while her navel was completely exposed. A violet sash hung diagonally around her waistline, over a pair of satin white slacks and a pair of yellow-black combat boots.

"Ho-ho-ho-ho!" Krillin croaked out, as he nearly forgot himself and his fight, as a goddess of beauty had been selected as his opponent. As a hot blush worked his way up his neck and his face, he could see the smirk work up the woman's face, as she observed her own enemy's reaction with visible delight, "well...I can certainly say that there is something in here hotter than the lava...space chicks are HOT-HOT-HOT!"

"You flatter me, little man, with your words," the woman spoke with a sarcastic edge, but was clearly humored by the man's verbal advances. Taking a hand, she pushed a few bangs behind her sharp angled ears, as she stared at him with visible inspection, "hmmm, your power is far below that of the others. A shame this will end so suddenly...I wanted to play with you a little..."

"P-P-Play?!" Krillin almost felt himself pass out, as his internal heat rivaled the room's atmopshere, and the heart beating within his chest was making him deaf to anything but her words.

Then, he remembered someone. A beautiful blonde named 18. Someone who made his heart flutter, gave him a thumbs up and told him to win this. It was the first time she had acknowledged him, despite the small words she shared with him on the Lookout, before disappearing for half a year. But now, she was willing to accept his feelings, and even came to watch him compete, and cheer him on.

If he didn't do this for himself, then he had to do this for her, and his love for her!

"D-D-Don't think you can tempt me with your womanly ways, hot alien chick!" Krillin balled his fists, as he yelled out in proclamation, uncaring if she or anyone else heard him, "I have to win!"

"No," the woman spoke dryly.

**WHAM-WHAM-WHAM!** Before Krillin could answer, he found small fists with immense power striking his face repeatedly, unable to even lock his eyes upon them, before a knee drove into his gut, causing him to double over.

A wicked smile played over the woman's face as she observed the small man's agony with cruel satisfaction, "Zangya doesn't let anyone beat her. Let alone a weak, pathetic man such as yourself..."

* * *

"Every ship is the same I get into," Vegeta grumbled as his boots patted across the dune which his impractical space rocket crashed into, "no matter what I drive, it always crashes!"

Vegeta trekked across a seemingly endless sea of sand, as he saw a distant cave-like entrance beyond the horizon, with very little scenery beyond the occasional cacti or rolling dune every fifteen meters or so.

It didn't take long for Vegeta to be greeted by his opponent either.

A large gloved, muscular arm shot up, intending and gripping its prey by the throat, strangling it to a lifeless shell. Surprisingly enough, the arm didn't get very far.

"Aha!" Vegeta crowed out, his body deftly to the side to grab the offending wrist, pulling it forward and the rest of the man hiding within the sand before launching a well aimed kick to the man's face, discharging a powerful stream of energy from the point of his boot's sole.

The result sent the attacker and a good twenty meter stretch of sand to billow out within a ear-splitting shockwave, that shook the entirety of the sand-covered landscape, and sent the man sprawling head-over-heels before righting himself up.

"You did well concealing your presence," Vegeta spoke aloud, fully recognizing the entity on his backside to be not a human, but one of another race, "I suppose I can thank you for so easily diverting my poor excuse of a vessel off course and crash land?"

"You could say that," the dark, low-toned sounding man spoke back, as he stood up to his intimidating six & half foot frame. The alien smiled a toothy grin of maliciousness, as it appeared there was little to no damage done to his face from the attack.

As Vegeta observed him, there was a distinct familiarity about his physique and appearance. Wearing a sleevless violet jacket over his exposed chest, with a pair of yellow colored finger-less gloves on the end of each muscular blue-skinned arm. With a black sash running over the middle of satin white slacks, with a pair of yellow-black military boots, the only thing that stood out as unique for the alien was showing off a orange trimmed beard around his chin and lips, and a orange haired mohawk.

"So, you going to give me a name before I pummel you into the ground, hm?" Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest, frowning at the man as he planned a number of ways to deal with the unexpected enemy.

"Bido," the despicably grinning man spoke, before he charged with a dash, as he swung out his right hand to preform a haymaker on Vegeta's skull.

Just like the others, Vegeta saw the initial punch come towards his face and he responded in kind, swiftly swinging his left arm up to send the punch off course. But, just like the others, he found a opposing fist invisibly struck his jaw from the other side.

The force sent him spiraling across the desert-covered arena, blasting him through a dune and hurtling into a artificial plateau, crashing it with an incredible boom that resonated the hot battlefield.

"And I'm going to crush you, Prince of all Saiyans, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Bido laughed boisterously as he prepped a crimson orb of Ki in his hands. Leaping straight into the air, he discharged sphere of energy at Vegeta intent on destroying him in one blow.

"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" A piercing yell shook the entire air, as a shockwave of golden energy poured up from Vegeta's impact site, rippling all across the battlefield.

The following shockwave sent the orb off course and crashed into a nearby wall, exploding violently, ripping a large gouge in the wall, revealing a dark cityscape beyond the horizon of the sand covered landscape.

The force of such exertion had also done a visibly unexpected result.

The sand itself began to turn into glass as it cycloned around Vegeta's stalwart form, walking forth with a confident grin on his face, and a piercing pair of gleaming emerald eyes. Eyes that glared at Bido for having tricked him and landing a hit he should have been able to dodge.

"So, you think you hurt me now with that level of pathetic power?" Vegeta raised a hand in a beckoning gesture, even as electricity surged from his skin, and the entirety of the sands began to crystallize and billow around his aura's exertion.

"Don't get cocky, Saiyan!" Bido growled out, rushing forth as he reared his fists back, aiming to beat the prideful Saiyan to a pulp.

When Bido reached him, he threw out a series of one-two fist strikes, aiming to throw off Vegeta's reaction timing even further and strike him senseless.

Strangely, Vegeta wore a grin, and didn't move a muscle.

**BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BAM!** Even as Bido struck him repeatedly, causing his head and body to thrash every which direction, his stance never wavered, and his body never cringed in pain. If anything, Bido's fists hurt to strike the Super Saiyan's body. It was like punching solid lead!

After a solid minute of punches, Bido let up, chuckling, feeling as if he got through to Vegeta's weak spots, "You so cocky now?"

"Hehehe...hahaha...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Vegeta laughed darkly, rearing his head back up, only showing a small drip of blood emerge his lip, for which he wiped away with one glove, "that was for free, you fool."

"What?!" Bido's eyes widened as he took a step back, realizing his attacks had little to no affect on the Super Saiyan. Beads of sweat crawled visibly down his brow, despite the advantage he held, he felt very real fear building up within his insides, "y-you're bluffing!"

"Oh really?" Vegeta rolled his neck to the side, causing it to pop a few times, as he grinned tauntingly at him, "then come on! I'm not even at full power, and your punches are like tickles. Hit me with your best shot, Bido!"

"RAH!" Bido reared back his fists and charged at the Saiyan again, intending to break through the prideful warrior's defenses.

He would not lose here!

* * *

"What the Hell is wrong with everybody?!" Yamcha yelled out aghast, seeing various screens of the strange haired and skinned real aliens fighting. It appeared as if all the accomplished comrades of his were doing sloppily, and didn't have any form or comprehension of their enemies attacks, "why are they not fighting back?!"

"I don't know," Piccolo glared at the screens from beyond, his eyes analyzing all of the movements of the strange creatures, intent on killing their friends, "but whoever they are, they must have killed the original fake aliens in order to get close to the next participants. From the way I'm hearing things, they were planning for them to be there, and set up some kind of trap. At the rate things are going..."

"Vegeta doesn't seem to mind, strangely," Tien noted, as he saw Vegeta being hammered by a number of punches while tauntingly smiling back at his enemy, "it appears this his opponent is below his league. I'm more worried about Krillin, Gohan, and Trunks at this point."

"We should go help them!" Yamcha insisted, raising a fist up with a gritted expression on his face as he glared at the enemies hiding behind the guise of a much more violent Tournament, "our friends are in trouble, and they can't beat them on their own, for whatever reason they can't!"

"No, let things play out," Piccolo spoke with confidence, a smile adorning his features, "it seems despite how desperate things are, they still have yet to hit their limit. It almost seems they're allowing them to have the upper hand."

"H-How can you tell?" Tien looked at Piccolo with an upraised brow.

"Just watch how the rest of the battle plays out," Piccolo encouraged as he pointed out to the battlefield, as he witnessed the next events unfold before them all, "if I know one thing, its that these guys don't know when to quit, even if they should. They'll get themselves out of it..."

The other two Z Warriors could only hope this was true. For if their strongest fighters couldn't overcome this new crisis, who could?

* * *

**A/N**: _Hey, did you ever get the feeling that this chapter was a little shorter, or a little less full of action? Well, that's probably because my brain couldn't handle the overload of information that filled it this weekend. While I got a good idea how this next part is going to occur, the rhetoric I had above took a little of my enthusiasm out of it. That, and at the rate I'm being interrupted, there's no way I can meet the deadline tomorrow night for submission_

_So, I stopped here, and I hope I'm not loathed for it DX_

_Please feel free to leave comments and reviews after you're through reading. Try not to make too much criticism out of this one. Its not my best action sequence chapter, but it will get better, lol_

_So yeah, the Bojack Gang has arrived! How much stronger are they from their Canon counterparts, if at all? What sinister new twists and turns are expected for our empowered protagonists?! Will Krillin pull through this one intact?!_

_Tune in next time on the_ Vegeta Chronicles! :D


	6. An Old Evil Reappears!

**THE VEGETA CHRONICLES**

* * *

**Chapter Six - An Old Evil Appears!**

* * *

"What is going on here?! I don't recognize any of these alien fighters?! Why does that one have a sword?! Someone please let me know what's going on!" The voice of X.S. Cash bellowed in his private box. He had already was pleasantly surprised by how strong the contestants were in contrast to Hercule Satan, but now these new competitors he didn't even sign on appeared to fight the contenders, and in a most unsportsmanlike manner.

A gray suited man rushed into the rich box, slamming the door in the process, as sweat poured profusely down his face in emphasis of his urgency. As he looked at the screen from the view the Cash family, back to Mr. Cash himself, he explained with alarm, "These aren't the fighters I signed on for! I don't know what happened to the original guys, but these are guys I've never seen before...!"

"My gosh!" Mrs. Cash spoke aloud in alarm, her face paling as she held her terrified son in her arms, "this is the Cell Games all over again!"

"That's it! I got to call the authorities, and get these people evacuated!" Mr. Cash spoke in an authoritative tone, pointing to his assistant with a serious look upon his rotund, wrinkled face, "you there! Tell the ferries at the docks to get here ASAP! I will try to calm the audience and tell them its all part of the games. Until they get here, I'll do my best to reassure the crowd that this is a more daring stunt our fighters are playing a part in. Now hurry!"

"R-Right, I'll-" The man began to say, until the doorway became occupied by a large and intimidating individual appeared.

"Calling in the authorities would be a bad idea," Piccolo spoke with as much commanding presence, even more so, than Mister Cash had. His hardened stare turned from the trembling assistant to the man who orchestrated the Intergalactic Tournament himself, "Mister Cash, the only people who can stop the threat are the very people who they are targeting. Allow us to finish this fight, and without interruptions."

"Who are you to give me orders?! Who the Hell are you to tell me how to save the lives of the audience, and how to terminate these threats?!" Mr. Cash threw his arms around in emphasis, clearly upset that one of the contenders decided to tell him what he could and couldn't do.

But Piccolo wouldn't have any rejections.

**KRAK-KOOM!** "This _isn't_ a request!" Piccolo growled at X.S. Cash, as his body flared up a flash of white-blue Ki around his body, pushing the assistant onto his backside while the Cash family fell back onto their seats, as powerful wind currents blew within the now seemingly smaller rich box, straining the protective glass separating them from the outside, "time and again the military and the police have tried to quell threats much more insignificant than this, and they have all paid a heavy price in doing so! These enemies want to have a show put on for them as they beat their prey to a pulp. If the audience leaves, they may want to destroy the entire Island for sick pleasure. Do you want to give the enemy second ideas?! Do you, Mister Cash?!"

"I-uh...n-no...I don't want anyone in danger," the rich man blubbered, before tears began to roll down his eyes as he fell onto his knees, "I never intended anything like the Cell Games to reoccur! I just wanted everyone to have a great time, and not have to worry about monsters like Cell again! And what do I get? Hercule is a con man! Everything Cell demonstrated was as real as the fighters who fought him, and now aliens are real!" Raising his tear-smudged, spectacle-covered eyes, he spoke in a pleading tone, "I beg of you! Please stop this menace! I don't want my audience, or this world, to suffer on behalf of my failed attempt to give the world a good show!"

De-powering his aura, Piccolo gave him a serious nod, as he walked out of the office, speaking over his shoulder, "We will give our best shot...or die trying!"

* * *

"What's going on?! Who are those guys?!" Bulma cried out, even as baby Trunks blinked in wonder and ignorant bliss. As much of the crowd were muttering in mixed amazement, excitement, and fear, no one knew what to make of the current fights simultaneously occurring just below the Island's stadium. One moment Bulma was excited to see her son and husband fight off in front of the millions watching from a distance and the thousands even closer, the next everything descended into imminent chaos.

"I-I can feel their energy," Chi-Chi spoke with a aghast tone, one hand reaching out to take her friend's hand in hers while placing another cautiously over her pregnant midsection, "its...dark...cold...evil. Its just like Cell's..."

"Chi-Chi," Bulma gripped her hand back in encouragement, still not able to muster a smile due to the predicament her own son and lover were in.

"Ah, c'mon! Its obvious they're using tricks to land those lazy strikes on them! I-Is there no ref around here?!" 17 protested audibly, looking around at the other attendees, in insistence, waving his arms in emphasis, "really?! I'm the only one?! Hey, 18, don't you think-"

17 blinked in surprise, as he saw no 18 in the seat across from him.

"18?" Looking around, he couldn't sense her anywhere, and it seemed like she moved recently. Scratching his head, he tipped his black-cowboy-hat donned face to look around and didn't see his sister around, "huh, maybe she went to get some snacks? Hope she gets back soon..."

* * *

**WHAM-CRACK-WHAP!** Krillin felt himself on the verge of collapse as he suffered another combo of vicious kicks, punches, and elbow strikes that sent him sprawling across the black rock landscape. His body ached, and his mouth tasted the familiar metallic liquid on his tongue. His orange gi had been torn and scorched by the chance encounters by the lava stream, and impacts his body made across the intricate magma rock arena.

Craters littered the area, and steamed of energy attacks Krillin did his best to fight back. But he couldn't fight back effectively. Something was messing with his timing and his perception. What power did this woman have over him?

"I don't know why Bujin even bothered," Zangya strode casually over to Krillin's heaving form, a cruel smile on his face complimented by the cold, bored eyes fixated upon the wounded monk's frame, "you really aren't a threat in comparison to the Saiyans."

Those choice words...what did she mean by her comrade shouldn't have bothered, Krillin wondered. He had to know what this mind game was that kept him from defending or attacking properly.

"So...there are...more of you?" Krillin uttered aloud, halting Zangya's initial approach as he stood on his feet a little straighter than before, "well then. If they're in as much trouble as I am...I can't wait around for you to pummel me all day!"

"You act as if you can suddenly win this battle," Zangya spoke with an incredulous tone, waving her arms in emphasis to the side, smiling wider as she cruelly narrowed her cold eyes back at him, "you can't lay a hand on me, even if you tried your hardest. The fact of a matter is, none of you can."

"_That's it!_" Krillin had noticed a faint violet light, shining faintly above the arena, ever since he arrived. It had been too subtle to notice until now, but the way she spoke confidently that he couldn't hit her once, made it all the more convincing.

Charging a pair of yellow orbs, Zangya could only chuckle at Krillin's insistence on winning, "Please, be reasonable, little man. I'll kill you quickly if you admit defeat no-"

"**Double Tsuihikidan!**" Krillin cried out, as the yellow spheres merged together and turned blue, as a pair of dual beams of homing energy zoomed towards Zangya.

Raising her hands to deflect the beams with ease, she was surprised when the beams arced up directly in front of her, and straight into the ceiling, causing her to widen her eyes with shock, "N-No!"

**CRAAAAAAAAAAACK!** As the pair of energy blasts struck the violet light, an entire dome manifested, cracking with faint white outlines all across the arena. Within a matter of seconds, the entire barrier shattered, and Krillin felt his mind suddenly feel a lot clearer. He was freed from whatever power she had over him!

"YES!" Krillin jumped for joy, feeling as if he had done it. However, he realized he had been lucky enough to spot it, and he knew his friends in the other arenas might not get the same chance as he did. Reaching up to tap his temples with either of his forefingers, he concentrated and sent a telepathic message, "_guys! I need to let you know something. Whatever that's keeping you from beating these guys is an illusion! There should be a purple hazy light above your arena. Target it with an energy blast and that should dispel-_"

Zangya was not pleased. With a sudden rushing momentum, she moved to hit Krillin right in the gut with a flying knee-kick, causing his concentration to be broken and his eyes widen with pain, as he found himself reeling back in a pinwheel motion into a magma-rock spire across the arena. As he fell onto his back, he tried to get up, feeling pain constrict him all over. This was like fighting a Super Saiyan, he knew it to be true!

"You may have destroyed the barrier, but I won't give you a fighting chance," Zangya spoke coldly as she hovered above Krillin, an orb of green light manifesting in one of her hands as she prepared to finish him, "I'm going to finish you in one bl-"

"Solar Flare!" Krillin quickly switched his hands up into the tell-tale handsign next to his face, before discharging a blinding flash of light into Zangya's eyes.

"AAAAAAUGH!" Zangya disengaged her concentration of the energies within her right hand, in favor of covering her eyes from the blindness that paralyzed her from reacting to what came next.

"KAIO-KEN...TIMES TWENTY!" Krillin shouted suddenly, his body blazing with crimson fire all of a sudden, and his energy blasting the igneous rock formation and the lava stream nearby.

"What?!" Zangya uttered aloud, still blinded by the prior uttered technique, as Krillin stood well above a level her energy currently held, "where did he get all of this power?! What is he?!"

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Krillin yelled at the top of his lungs as he discharged a wave of Ki beneath his soles as he slammed his head into her gut, before shouting out, "REVERSE KAMEHAMEHA!"

**VOOM!** With x20 Kamehameha propelling beneath his feet, Krillin managed to overpower his opponent, and slam her towards the wall, cracking it entirely, before flying out into the open expanse of the final battle arena...!

* * *

"Krillin?!" Trunks thought aloud, as he distinctly heard the bald monk's voice ring within his mind.

He felt his body rise from a pile of rubble, as most of the city block of fake buildings have been razed by this Kogu in his intent of killing him. Wincing, he felt his hand reach for the several gashes crossed over his chest, drawing back a blood-stained hand as he looked at it with anger. As he grit his teeth tightly, he looked at the several purple marks marring his legs, torso, and legs, having taken a serious pounding from this man, despite all of his skill and efforts.

As he turned his head to the sky, he could see _it_. A hazy violet oval of light hovering next the artificial Sun that lit the arena in a cheery disposition. Despite this, the fields were lit on fire, the river splaying water over its edges, and the city smoldered from the ongoing battle. All semblance of peace and happiness was torn away within an instant.

"_Just like the Androids from my Future..._" Trunks thought with growing rage, even as Kogu landed before him with a malicious smile on his face.

"Ready to end this, Saiyan?" Kogu asked as he scraped the edge of his blade across the ground, producing a continuous flash of sparks from the sharp end of his blade. He began relishing the helplessness his target had. Kogu knew he was a skilled enemy, and should a real battle occur between the two of them, he knew he would need his full strength to be on even standings. But he knew it wouldn't come to it. After all, it looked as if he was barely standing, so one more bout and he should be finished-

"You disgust me!" Trunks growled out, his eyes lighting aflame and his aura bursting to life once more, his tone stopping Kogu in his tracks, "you ruin a good competition for your own sick pleasure, and you don't even have the decency into giving it your all. You have to use tricks, and play dirty! You're no better than _they_ are!"

"_They?_" Kogu raised his brow with curiosity, not knowing precisely who the Saiyan-hybrid was talking about.

"I'm going to crush you...and toss you into the wind!" Trunks roared out. As he pulled his arms back to his hips, his body crackled with electric tendrils that shook the fabric of space within the entirety of the arena. The golden light got brighter and brighter, as if he himself was becoming a source of light, with lightning cracking out of his body and crashing into the landscape, producing fiery explosions. All the while the vibrant spectacle of Trunks' powering up to maximum for his Full-Powered state, his mouth curled up into a dark smile, identical to that of his father's.

Kogu's eyes widened as he stepped back from the unstable energies flowing forth from the Saiyan-hybrid, raising his right arm to shield his eyes from the blinding light of energy.

"RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Trunks stretched out his arms in both directions, as a large globe of light projected from his body, blasting away the ruined atmosphere of his arena, and hit Kogu full force.

As the energy blasted into the ceiling and walls of the intricate battlefield, it struck the illusion barrier, shattering it to pieces within a flash of violet glass-like particles, before the sphere itself smashed into the tight confines of the space within the chosen arena.

Simultaneously, Kogu found himself slammed into the wall, but only held a little superficial damage from the blast. As he peeled himself off the wall, he found himself seeing a scorched crater, from which Trunks, at his most powerful in his current state, brimmed with anger and loathing. His glare struck a chord of nervousness that seemed almost foreign, to the Herasian. He faced countless warriors and they were all terrified of him. But this Saiyan...this Super Saiyan was different, he knew that to be sure.

Before he could properly retaliate, the afterimage of Trunks stationary form shimmered away, as Trunks himself slammed a fist into Kogu's gut, sending a rippling shockwave across the charred wall.

"GAH!" Kogu felt his eyes bulge out, never expecting this boy's strength to be superior to his, and take the breath out of him with a single punch.

"I'm going to end this," twisting his fist around, Trunks roared out as a flash of yellow light was let loose from his fist in sync with an extra push of physical might, "here and now!"

**KRAK-BOOM!** With a single explosive thrust of his fist into Kogu's midsection, the wall exploded with a red-yellow ball of flames, with the Herasian at its epicenter, hurtling him across the dark air and space into the room beyond the blackened battlefield they would leave behind.

* * *

"_That was Krillin's voice!_" Gohan thought, as he hid behind a stack of enlarged toys, having heard the telepathic call from his friend within one of the opposing arenas next to his own.

Having taken a more evasive approach to his enemy he couldn't keep up with, Gohan had been scurrying around and discharging small Ki blasts at Bujin, he only received minor bruises on his skin apart from a small gash on his lower left jawline, he didn't feel much pain. However, he felt cautious, and had been fighting smart against the much swifter being, and trying to figure out why he couldn't properly defend or counterattack his nemesis.

Now he knew why.

Looking around the corner, he saw Bujin high in the air, launching small baseball sized emerald blasts of energy across the once mystical and happy visage of the battlefield inappropriately chosen for two fighters to duke it out. Each one caused a concussive blast that sent the shrapnel of plaster, plastic, and concrete flying everywhere within the wake of orange fireballs that came after each explosion it its apex, sending smoldering pillars of smoke into the ceiling.

Trailing the tall towers of sickly gases, Gohan saw his target: a violet hazy light hovering near one of the many lights shining upon the spacious, ruined toy-littered arena.

Deciding now was as good of time to launch a counterattack, as any, Gohan leaped out of his hiding spot and flared his aura brightly and unleashed his power to the max. He knew holding back was dangerous, but he didn't want to waste his energy fighting Bujin in the first place, in case there were other tricks of his sleeves. But the time of holding back was gone, and now, it was time to fight back!

"BUJIN!"Gohan shouted out, as his aura blazed brilliantly, sending sparks and golden tendrils snaking from his being that outshined any of the dozens of smoldering craters the Herasian had created during his mad search for the young Saiyan-hybrid.

Bujin's eyes widened with surprise, having believed to have fought the target in question at his best. Since when was son of Goku this strong?!

"You really don't know when to quit, kid!" Shaking his head out of reverie, Bujin gathered two orbs of emerald energy, focusing them, ready to annihilate the cocky kid for showing himself. In his condition, he shouldn't be able to put up any fight against him, even with all the power he was flexing.

"KA...ME...HA...ME...HA..." Gohan brought his wrists directly over his sternum, unlike his usual stance, and continued to charge a human-sized orb of blazing blue-white energy. Waiting several seconds longer, right as Bujin launched his twin orbs at his direction, he yelled out, "BURST!"

Instead of the singular beam that Bujin had expected, a total of a dozen meter-wide beams screamed out from Gohan's thrusting arms, as his wrists clasped together in the perfect execution pose to unleash havoc upon his enemy.

The two emerald orbs were struck by two of the beams as they spread out, intending on taking the gypsy-garbed imp out of the sky through sheer numbers rather than accuracy.

"Drat!" Bujin cursed aloud, powering his body with orange energy to avoid the stream of blasts heading his way, narrowly evading them all. As they shot upwards, however, he felt sweat profusely pour down his brows as his mouth was agape, realizing what the brat's true intention was from the start.

**BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!** As the beams converged upon the ceiling, a series of powerful orange-red-golden explosions rocked the battlefield's space as if it was under a earthquake. Simultaneously, a bright violet light shattered around the arena's perimeter, breaking the spell that was held upon the contestant, and the advantage the Herasian had over him.

The searing winds bellowed around Bujin, pushing him across the airspace as he shielded his eyes from the blinding light the explosion created. When it began to let up, he noticed all too late the screaming rocket of golden energy heading his way. In the form of an enraged Gohan, Bujin felt himself get clocked across the jaw, uttering a deafening crack in the air pressure, sending golden tendrils of lightning to glisten briefly to life from the intensity of the punch.

Just as he felt himself fly towards one end of the arena, he felt Gohan's presence briefly glimmer behind him, before landing a elbow to the back of his neck, sending him towards the ground.

"AAAAAAAH!" Bujin screamed as he descended, and would only gasp in shock as Gohan shimmered into view to greet him halfway, slamming his knee into his face with another seismic-equivalent strike against his body, sending him tumbling head over heels towards the far wall.

As the Herasian's back began to shatter the wall, he would briefly blink, seeing the golden-haired warrior teleporting in front of him. An outstretched set of hands were thrust in his direction, before a deafening scream was heard, and a kinetic blast striking him full force, blasting the wall and himself across the dark interior of the new battlefield beyond the ruined one they created...

* * *

"H-How?!" Bido gasped aloud, heaving heavy breaths after the latest flurry of strikes he slung at Vegeta.

It didn't make sense. He spent nearly a full ten minutes wailing at him with his strongest punches, kicks, even headbutts. But the Saiyan hardly flinched. It felt like he was hitting a steal column that wouldn't dent, no matter how much force he put into striking it.

"Is that it?" Vegeta asked with an incredulous tone, wiping the small bit of blood leaking out of his mouth, as he placed his hands on his hips in superior emphasis, "I stood my ground and let you take your best shots at me. I think its been over eleven minutes since I told you to hit me with your best shot. Are you still holding out on me, or is your whole plan in beating me, hinged on that ridiculous barrier that you formed before our fight started?"

"_He knows?!_" Bido flinched, stepping back, feeling sweat bead down his large forehead as his enemy somehow figured out Bujin's mystic illusion barrier, "this is bad! If he knows, then the others must know too! I got to finish this now, no matter what the plan was originally!"

Before Bido could commit, however, a series of thunderous explosions could be heard. Turning his head, Bido could distinctly feel the fluctuating power levels of his comrades, as they were now on the defensive, "C-Crap..."

"Oh? Are your friends defeated already? I guess your plan wasn't as brilliant as you thought it to be," Vegeta taunted openly, chuckling darkly as he took steps forward, his aura far from fading as it blasted the glassed sand away from his feet, as he took purposely slow steps to intimidate his opponent. With great affect, Vegeta chuckled as he saw Bido walk backwards, while growling in protest, "I didn't even need that barrier destroyed. I'll prove it to you."

"Why don't you just go to H-AAAAARGH!" Bido, in the midst of his cursing, felt a fist indent itself into his gut, rattling his insides and shaking his bones. Feeling his feet fly up an inch before coming back down, he felt his own blood snake down his lips, as he glared heatedly at the Saiyan prince.

"Oh, I'm sorry, it looks like you have a little weak sauce dripping from your mouth," Vegeta mocked, pointing at him in emphasis.

"You asshole!" Bido growled out, jumping up, launching a snap kick to Vegeta's face, "I'll make you pay for that!"

Vegeta closed his eyes and backed his head up enough so the edge would pass him by mere millimeters, before he would grasp the ankle of his enemy. With a vicious pull, Vegeta swung his other hand forward, slamming it dead-set into Bido's groin.

"AIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!" As Bido's voice morphed into an uncharacteristically high-pitched tone, with his pupils comically shrinking, his body fell straight onto his backside, as he writhed around, cupping his injured man jewels with both of his hands, "AAAAAAGH! OW-OW-OW-OW-OW! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

Opening his eyes again, Vegeta chuckled twisted humor, as he crossed his arms, "Awwwww, I'm sorry. They may not be a Dragon's, but I most certainly crushed _your_ balls! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"S-Stop laughing, urrrrrrgh!" Bido snarled as he struggled to get on his feet, his arms shaking with pain and rage, veins protruding all across his skin in visible proclamation of his unkempt anger towards the Saiyan prince.

"Yes, that's the spirit!" Vegeta goaded his enemy, chuckling darkly as he raised his hands and beckoned him, "c'mon! Come to papa! Papa give you a spanking!"

"STOP MOCKING ME!" Bido charged again, swinging his fists out with every ounce of strength he had.

Vegeta closed his eyes, bent his head to the left, and the right, repeatedly dodging them with little to no effort on his own part. What was once an immovable and indestructible being, was now a blurring visage of dexterous grace and mobility.

Bido was wondering if this Saiyan had he toyed with him the whole time.

"_What's going on?! Why. Can't. I. Hit. HIM?!_" Bido snarled as he thought with frustration, as his fists hit nothing but air, propelling pressurized currents from the force carried with his enormous arms.

Then, Bido found Vegeta ducking below, his back parallel to the ground, and his feet stretching up towards...

"GAH!" The Herasian felt himself smashed in the chest by both feet, feeling the shockwave send a deafening blast that rocked the desert around him, as his body flew directly up into the ceiling's center, and struck it with a sickening crunch. As he felt blood and saliva drip out of his mouth, he heard the audibly crack of the barrier's weak spot, before shattering apart in a vibrant flash of violet light before dissipating entirely, "d-dammit..."

"Hey," Vegeta whispered next to Bido suddenly, the latter turning his indented body's face to look at the very close, darkly smiling Saiyan prince, "guess what?"

"W-What?!-"

"Bitch Slap!" Vegeta crowed out, as an energized back-hand gesture struck Bido full on the face, scraping him across the ceiling, sending an enormous fissure of torn infrastructure in its wake. The smoke left in its wake could only be overshadowed by the electric spasms the body of the victim felt as it vibrantly flashed across the battlefield's highest apex.

Before the Herasian could make full contact with the junction where the ceiling meets artificial sky, he felt his face smash into the outstretched arm of the Super Saiyan, breaking his nose and causing him to gasp in shock, as a reverberating thunderclap could be heard upon the collision of the large-bodied alien meeting the Saiyan's muscular forearm.

Snatching the collar of the shredded gypsy-attire of what Bido had donned, Vegeta held him aloft with a glare within his onyx eyes, "Your man, Bujin was it? He was very sloppy with setting up such a simplistic barrier. Either you and your gang were in a hurry, or you really didn't think much of the Saiyan race when you decided to blindside us."

"G-Go to Hell..." Bido snarled, but could barely raise his arms in protest, as the pressure his shirt had around his neck began to squeeze even tighter.

"Fool, that's where I intend sending you when I'm finished playing with you," Vegeta lifted the hulking, larger man up to bring him face-to-face level, so his dark smile could be very visible to the shaking assassin, "your barrier relied on distorting Ki sense and vision. What you bumbling fools forgot was important was that those are only two tools a warrior has at his disposal. Smell. Taste. Touch. Sound. Any warrior of a high caliber can use these when having lost the other two senses you dared to rob me of. How foolish to think that a parlor trick and a strong arm would win you this battle!"

Twisting his body around, Vegeta threw his enemy into the wall with such force, that an electrical wave of exerted force disintegrated the entire desert arena wall's surface with a vibrant explosion. Long before Bido was sent flying, the orange-red flames of the superstructure's wall had already collapsed on itself, as he flew into the dark chasm of the next adjacent arena.

In triumph, Vegeta shouted out with a laugh, "Get ready to say Sayonara, sucker!"

* * *

"A-AMAZING!" The announcer finally regained his bearings, saw the impressive feats the contenders pulled over the impostor "alien" challengers, promptly smashing them through their respective arenas, and into the final battlefield, "DESPITE SOME DIFFICULTY FACED INITIALLY AGAINST THE ALIENS, OUR CONTESTANTS HAVE ENTERED INTO THE FINAL BATTLEFIELD! WHICHEVER TWO REACHES THE ELEVATOR FIRST, GETS TO COMPETE IN THE FINALS!"

The crowd, having once felt mixed between excitement and trepidation, turned to a full-on cheer.

The demonstrations of sheer power, skill, and vibrant lights being discharged, just gave them an even better show than they had thought possible. The roar filled the stands and people were talking with animated excitement and rekindled spirits. For a moment there, it looked like the so-called aliens were about to beat them, or worse, kill them!

Chi-Chi and Bulma, also breathed a collective sigh of relief. At first, it seemed like both of their kids were taking a serious beating. But they showed they were no pushovers and reassured themselves, and the audience, they were far from being done.

"I gotta say, Trunks almost made me believe he was about to call it quits," Bulma spoke with a renewed sense of confidence, smiling and throwing a fist up into the air, unknowingly in sync with baby Trunks' own upraised small fist held aloft upwards, "but that's MY boy Trunks! Look at him kicking that guy's ass!"

"I never doubted my Gohan in the slightest," Chi-Chi raised her chin in the air with a proud expression on her face, "he never gives up, even when he should. Its the one thing that he inherited from his father, that I've come to grow the most fond of. Now if he only didn't eat as much as he did, then he'd make a perfect husband for whatever crazy girl to fall for his good looks and martial art talents..."

* * *

"Achoo!" Videl felt herself sneeze without warning, peering through the glass observatory window of the competitor's box. She could only wonder if someone was talking about her?

"Hey! We may not even have to go down there after all," Yamcha said with relief and growing excitement, fist pumping in the air as he turned to see his friends' expressions and reactions equally, "they may have this wrapped up before they get up to the stadium arena!"

"Its way too soon to tell, but I'm pretty sure you're close," Tien spoke sagely, but held a merit of relief, spreading a genuine smile on his own weary face, "I think our friends can handle this without our help. For the moment anyways..."

Piccolo, however, remained stoically silent. His eyes narrowed, and his senses, and extraordinary hearing had tuned out the two proximate human warriors near him to focus on what was transpiring underneath the island's stadium. He could tell there was a massive chasm, like a vaulted ceiling, to contain something much like a compacted underground city. As he focused on the signatures that was his friends and the unknown entities that had stowed away into Battle Island II's inner workings, he could tell already they had been purposely holding back. What were they pla-

"This isn't good," Piccolo spoke lowly, visible perspiration began to gather upon his dark emerald pores and roll down his jawline, emphasizing how truly nervous of the hidden threat looming below them, "we're going to go down there and fast!"

"Wait, is Gohan in trouble?!" Videl asked aloud with sudden confusion and alarm. Having had little access to what salvaged video footage of what transpired in the monster known as Cell's wake, she could only fear if half of the rumors were really true of what this new threat could be capable of, "what's going on down there?!"

"Kid, I suggest you stay put," Piccolo spoke matter-of-fact, casting a downwards glance at her, before walking off towards the exit, "this isn't a fight that normal people can take part in."

Piccolo wouldn't get far, before the pig-tailed daughter of Hercule dove underneath his spread legs and stand in his way to the exit of the contender box.

Holding her arms in a declarative, Videl sternly glared down the imposing green-pink skinned warrior of Namek, "Your _friend_, Vegeta, ruined my dad's reputation. You show me you can do all these incredible things that I was told was all just an act. Something as strong as Cell, who was actually a lot stronger than what most people said he was, is also fighting someone I **appreciate** down there; and all you tell me is to stay put?! I need, no, I deserve to know what you know! I don't want to be in the dark with the rest of crowd of whimsical idiots out there and in the world!"

"Hey, we're not trying to put you out or anything," Yamcha tried to say aloud in pleading, trying to make Videl get out of the way before Piccolo did something unbecoming, "we just don't have a lot of time to try and have this make sense to you. There is a lot about the world, especially of martial arts, a side of it you don't understand! Crazy stuff! Mind boggling!"

"Point is, we'd be more than happy to...uh, _educate_ you...about these things after this is over," Tien additionally commented, hoping his words sounded more rational than Yamcha's eccentric statements, "but right now, we can only give you a summary, and you're bound to not appreciate it."

Videl, heard all they said, briefly making eye contact with each of them, but kept her eye contact mostly on the staunch stronger warrior at the head of them. His piercing eyes stared into hers, sending her a shiver of insignificance in comparison to where she was from their level. Each one of these unusual fighters, every time they looked her way, gave the most ominous sense of power, composure, and pride that she hadn't ever seen in other martial artists, let alone most strong people in general. Still, she had the zeal to not move away, until this Piccolo, the one whom her new friend Gohan had said would be likely to train her in their way of martial arts.

She just hoped her stubborn-born nature will pay off, and that this bizarre entity standing before her wouldn't toss her aside, as easily as Vegeta had done so to her.

Moments passed like hours, before Piccolo finally relented with a heavy sigh, truly at a loss how else to get around this impressionable young girl. Her fiery spirit reminded him so much of Gohan's, if not a little more so, it was uncanny in resemblance. Like an opposing gender mirror of him, if not a bit more assertive in her actions, he could see why she cared with the boy upon a mere hour of meeting him.

Closing his eyes as he spoke aloud matter-of-fact, as he crossed his arms over his chest, "There's a dark presence, much like Cell's, hiding within the depths of Battle Island II. Its been concealed up till this point, and I think its going to make its move. Its maliciousness is on par with the monster you know of, and I doubt its any less in strength. This may be a fight we may either win or lose, if it be the latter, die trying."

"I...I see," Videl slowly lowered her arms, as her head bowed with vague understanding on what this ominous evil lurking underneath the stadium's grounds was, "so, another Cell?"

"I'm not going to lie, but that seems to be the most likely possibility," Piccolo spoke truthfully, re-opening his eyes to bear them upon the lowered gaze of the teenage martial artist, "which is why I say this with your safety in mind, and as my student's acquaintance, I suggest you stick to the box for the remainder of this battle. Things might get real ugly, and this place is the safest place for you to remain out of harm's way."

"Got it," Videl spoke with understanding, if not slightly crestfallen that she had to be set aside deliberately. As Piccolo passed by her, she could only ask aloud as she turned her head to see his back heading out the door, "please keep Gohan safe..."

"Heh, no need to tell me twice, kid," Piccolo spoke back to her as Tien and Yamcha followed him out, "besides, I think you may be surprised at what he's capable of. He may be our best shot, bar Vegeta, in winning this."

"Right," Videl, finally, allowed herself to smile as she turned fully to the three Z Warriors heading out to the fray, and gave them a thumb's up, "I'll root for you guys from here!"

And just as suddenly as the three warriors nodded to her, they disappeared within a flash, leaving Videl and the Cash family behind. It was time to take off to the fight once more!

* * *

Within a crescendo of nearly simultaneous explosions, four opposing angled walls collapsed within a heap of flames, lightning, or falling dark colored debris. Following of which four pairs of warriors flew in, one intentionally, the other without choice, into the ghastly final battlefield.

The layout that would be visited upon them was an immense compacted landscape of Gothic-Metropolitan designed towering skyscrapers, consisting of dirtied and dulled glass windows, aging and old grey bricks, as well as worn and scratched up grey steel. The streets of black asphalt only did its best to mirror the lack of proper light the final arena withheld, or lack thereof, as empty cars built of cheap hard plastic and empty tanks were parked parallel to empty shops, vacant of customers or custodians.

At its very epicenter would be a large fifty meter wide city square, serving as the possible area of conflict for the remaining contestants. With a large cathedral standing before it, doubled as a city clock, as the clock tower itself raised up from its front almost as high as the large rectangular steel tube behind the church itself. Constructed of old steel, it was apparent that you had to move through the cathedral to get to the entrance to go up to the stadium floor once more.

The atmosphere, however, was disturbingly fitting due to the ominous aura being projected across the vast landscape. It was a numbing chill to the exposed skin of any combatant that had entered the bleak, artificial night sky city, and one that touched the recesses of your spine. The ominous, clearly potent force that warped the space around for miles held a distinctive controlling, vice grip over the perception of those coming within. If to be described, it was as if every person entered a pool of liquefied darkness, with no end in sight of the bottom and no way to look up at the surface from whence you had been plunged into.

For every person that had entered, whether by force or by will, it was painfully clear that the battle was far from over...

* * *

Vegeta, upon entering the bleak, night-cast atmosphere of the final arena began to wonder whom the real mastermind of this ridiculous attempt at his, his son, his student, and the worthless monk's lives were.

Having burst through into the chilling night air after decimating the superstructure's wall, as well as hurtling Bido's muscular frame towards the horizon. The victim in question's body began smashing through a series of building tops, before crashing atop one of the model SUV's parked parallel and dormant upon the dark streets of the dark city. Though far from seriously wounded, the assassin was winded enough to keep from reentering the fight with the superior Saiyan's might.

With his golden aura shining brighter than a lighthouse in the midst of the luminously vacant landscape, Vegeta's presence demanded greeting as much as his following words that echoed with as much force as a city-wide speaker system would, "So much for your lousy plan of trying to kill us all! What was it? Too lazy to do it yourself, or are you not man enough to get your own hands dirty?!"

With no words to answer him, Vegeta assumed it to be nothing but blatant ignorance, as a manner of taunting him.

Growling, Vegeta jettisoned his hover form head first towards the center of the city, intent on finding this menace himself and crush it with his own two hands!

* * *

Gohan, upon entering the battlefield himself, could only gape with slight trepidation and shiver with fear at the ominous and clear presence. He could feel it lurk and seep into his very skin. Gulping he noted that Bujin's form had crashed not too far from where he destroyed the barrier separating his own battlefield from the final one before, landing onto his backside amidst a broken paper stand.

He briefly heard Vegeta's words echo the entirety of the city, shaking it, before hearing the distant rocketing of the Saiyan prince hurtle himself towards the center of the city and find the ringleader of this band of evil bandits.

Feeling more cautious and hesitant to join the battle this soon, he began to scoping out with his senses for who else made it through.

He felt Trunks also come through a more proximate area of the city, while Krillin was within a more distant area. Despite how much he knew how powerful these assassins were, Gohan felt compelled to towards Trunks' direction first, hoping to find out what he did of his own selected enemy.

With a sudden blast of golden energy in his wake, Gohan took off towards Trunks, unknowing that the formerly prone form of Bujin had disappeared from sight...

* * *

"Okay, where the Hell am I now?" Trunks breathed out, his eyes veering side-to-side, noting the unusual dark aura covering the already dark, empty city. It felt unnervingly to one of the cities from his time, the future, and what became of it from the Androids.

Clenching his fists, his eyes began to see the screaming people flee for cover, as the two nightmares cloaked in the bodies of teenagers, unleashing wave after wave of deadly beams towards them. Their laughs echoed his mind, haunted him, and this dark atmosphere...didn't help things at all.

When his father shouted, his eyes turned back to the present and he noted where he was. The dark metropolis was slightly damaged from all four of their entries, with Trunks' own opponent having crashed into several buildings from the force of which he launched him into the haunted, abandoned landscape.

As he saw the golden streak outline of Vegeta take towards the center of the city without delay, he felt compelled to follow after him, but the other golden light heading towards him caused him to pause. After squinting his eyes, a relieved smile broke upon his cautious visage, waving at the incoming form of Gohan, "Glad you made it through, Gohan!"

"Trunks! Its great to see you, after what's happened," Gohan spoke ecstatically, halting a few meters from the mutual Saiyan-hybrid as he stared down at the collapsed building wreckage. He sensed that the enemy was there a few moments ago, but somehow, he was gone, "Trunks, what happened to your dance partner?"

"Hm?" Trunks turned his gaze towards what Gohan had been speaking of. His eyes went wide, as he felt no signature at all, whereas he felt it clearly a minute ago, "shit! Where did they go?!"

"My best guess is where their boss is, seeing how Vegeta went that direction," Gohan nodded in the direction where Vegeta had gone, and finally stopped.

Then, they all felt the aura finally carry weight. A fierce animosity, and also...darkness...darkness much thicker than what they had experienced before, blew across their skin and shook the entirety of the landscape's compacted metropolis. The force came physically from a dark violet-black light that seem to light up the center of the city.

"T-This power!" Trunks sweated with apparent fear, his pupils dilated, and his arms shaking, "this...is as strong...if not stronger than Cell's!"

"Who are these guys?!" Gohan asked aloud with trepidation, feeling himself back up within the airspace, his Super Saiyan aura flickered slightly with uncertainty, as the tainted energy flooded his senses and projected a certain sense of very real fear. Fear he hadn't felt since facing the monster of Trunk's audible recollection. Just what was this nightmare capable of?!

* * *

"Ow-ow-ow," Krillin moaned aloud, as he struggled to his feet, amidst a large collection of dark rubble that he had created from the impact he created through the wall's impact center. Looking around, he could plainly see it was a much darker, drearier arena than the last one. Inwardly, he prayed to whomever was listening to his silent pleas, that it was the last fight he had to have with mysterious, evil forces.

Looking around, he tried to locate the woman he had so bluntly rammed his head into her gut through the barrier between their arena into this one. He could tell she had been thrown across the street, having carved a large trench from which her body dragged upon it. But with the faint amount of light, he could barely tell if she was laying beyond, or...

"Miss me?!" A fierce growl erupted from behind Krillin, causing his whole body to freeze up. Barely able to turn his head around, he could see a very, very pissed Zangya standing behind him with balled fists with a little shredding done to her jacket, thanks to his last attack.

He gulped, and waved his hand sheepishly towards her, "Hey...uh...can we call it a day? No hard feeli-NNNNGHZZ?!"

"Like Hell!" Zangya yelled out, as she slammed her left fist into his gut, watching with satisfaction how his backside warped with the force of the punch, before receding back. She chuckled cruelly as blood oozed out of his mouth, but didn't stop her from twisting herself on the balls of her feet, to kick him straight up the head, before launching a Kiai to his skyrocketing frame, sending him across the street she had been bulldozed through not but a minute ago.

"Gah!" Krillin felt stars rush around his vision. He didn't realize how much she had been holding back earlier. His entire insides felt like they were on fire, and he was sure she cracked several ribs with that last punch. The punch to his face nearly dislocated his jaw from the chin it made contact with, and his back now felt like it was stuck into a large crater in the middle of the cheaply constructed street.

He hadn't gasped for air for more than a few seconds before feeling a small foot come down onto his midriff, indenting the street a good ten meters down from the force of it, causing him to howl out in pain.

As Zangya ground her foot into his wounded torso, she could only smile toothily with twisted satisfaction, "Hurts, doesn't it?! That's how my gut felt after you barreled into it! How about I return the favor, ten times over?!"

"I-I'll...pass...if you don't...mind," Krillin weakly joked, even as blood gushed from his lips and down his cheeks, chin, and neck. He realized using such a high level Kaio-ken now was a mistake. He could barely muster any strength to reinforce his body with energy, to dampen the attacks being laid upon his form. With a sigh of resignation, he could only think with finality, "I guess this is...as far...as I go...sorry guys..."

Briefly, Zangya looked up as she heard the Saiyan prince's voice call out her master, challenging him and believing he could take him on so easily. She could only chuckle with humor, as she believed otherwise, that the Super Saiyan had no chance in Hell of beating their leader.

Grasping the wounded and beaten monk's collar, Zangya raised the wounded form of Krillin up before her. Dark pleasure ran through her veins, having always enjoyed crushing men, even weak ones, before her undeniable might. It felt almost like a drug she couldn't get enough of. Seeing their blood spilled, their bones crack like toothpicks, and the light leave their eyes, just gave her a euphoric sensation within the back of her brain.

Tightening the hold she had on his collar, causing the poor dwarf to gasp with pain, Zangya raised her left arm back, preparing to impale it through his exposed and damaged chest, "Any last words before you die, little man?"

"He doesn't," a voice suddenly spoke behind Zangya.

Before she turned her head, and received a haymaker punch to the right side of her face. Her eyes widened, as she could hear nothing the but the ringing her skull made upon collision from the bare fist, shortly before a thunderclap of broken air pressure was exerted, and her body flung helplessly into the nearest abandoned shop, shattering the glass and causing the building to collapse from the velocity of her ungraceful entrance.

As Krillin felt himself being flung, he felt a pair of delicate hands catch him with both arms, allowing him to look up at the most heavenly blue eyes. They stared at him with genuine concern, even past the stern expression her jaw had, for his safety and his condition he had been induced upon being beaten by the Herasian assassin. When they touched down, Krillin felt he was on cloud nine, as the woman of his dreams was holding him bridal style. Though he wished it was the other way around, he could accept the situation, garnered that she saved his life from a homicidal hot alien chick.

"You really shouldn't push yourself, Krillin," 18 sighed with a roll of her eyes, walking over and setting him down near one of the abandoned stores, stroking his bruised and cut face, "just because people are stronger than you, doesn't mean you have to make yourself their equal."

"Yeah...I know...but," Krillin worked up a weak smile as his eyes met hers in return, "how else...can I protect you...if not by becoming...just a little stronger...than I was yesterday?"

"You stupid fool," 18 spoke chidingly, but held a smile as well. With the spare moment they had together, 18 leaned down and chastely touched her lips to his own, before retracting, flicking his nose slightly in teasing gesture as she stood up, "you stay put, strong man. You're not in any danger, but you have five cracked ribs and your body's got a lot of damage done to it from your fight. Understood?"

"K-Kay...hehe," Krillin blushed as hot and red as a tomatoe, as a goofy smile worked its way onto his face, "I'll be right here...ooooooh," and just like that, Krillin passed out. Both from the euphoric, dream-come-true kiss, and from the exhaustion his body had from being kicked the crap out of.

As 18 righted herself, a dark presence had finally projected its power, causing her own eyes to widen with shock.

"What the Hell is this?!" She uttered aloud with distinct horror. This force warped the air around her, strangled her, and distorted everything visually to such a degree, she thought space itself was about to implode.

But her thoughts were cut off, as a bright yellow-emerald pillar of exerted energy, followed up with an angry yell ripping from the woman she clocked not but a few moments ago. What she saw surprised her even more.

Within the epicenter of a indented crater, from which the rubble of an entire building used to be, levitated her enemy. With glowing emerald skin, and hair poised directly vertical to her head, a dark violet-black aura coursed around her with vibrant crackles of dark tendrils and flames, harmoniously dancing from and around her pores.

With a malicious grin spread about her face, her cold eyes fixated on equally cold blue ones that 18 held, as she cackled with demented enjoyment, "You got in a lucky shot, whoever the hell you are, but that's the last one you'll get," rearing her fists, she prepared to lunge towards her prey, "I'm going to enjoy crushing you, bitch!"

"We'll see about that," 18 spoke with a sarcastic tone, flicking her blonde bangs around one of her ears, causing her gold earrings to jingle in the midst of such powerful energy projection set before her. Grinding her heels back, she lunged forward, and renewed the battle for her new target once more...!

* * *

**A few minutes ago...**

"So, there you are!" Vegeta spoke in a triumphant tone, hovering high above the city, directly parallel to the glowing clock face and in front of the mastermind in question.

Sitting upon the hollow crevice within the face of the clock, the golden light showed all about the figure's outline and features. A black bandanna wrapped securely over the top of his head, allowing the rest of his orange mullet to flow freely down his shoulders to the middle of his back. Just like the rest of his mutual henchman, he retained a dark blue complexion with a pair of knife-angled ears, though his own face had a much more intimidating and stronger build than Bido had. With a diagonal red scar running down from his left upper brow, across the bridge of his nose, to his right cheek, it showed both experience and brutality he experienced during his own climactic struggles of life and death.

His attire was similar to his fellow subordinates as well. With a pair of dark blue, puffy unbuttoned jacket, showed off a pair of triangular pairs of golden necklaces hung along his muscular neck and over his bristling defined torso. From the waist down, he wore a pair of satin slacks over his muscular legs, with a black sash tied around his waist and hanging over his right hip and thigh. Finally, the telltale finish of his mustard-yellow-black military grade boots, proved that he was indeed the leader of the assassins.

With a dark chuckle, a humored monotone broke out from the alien leader, as his malicious eyes set themselves upon Vegeta's own emerald ones, "Finally found me, did you? Feel accomplished, do you, Vegeta?"

"It wasn't hard, considering how your disgusting energy, even suppressed, is stinking up the air," Vegeta spoke in a off-handed tone, keeping his arms crossed, as he cocked his head to the left and then the right, "but I have to say, I don't think I've had the pleasure of fighting such an unimpressive fighter such as your Bido. Exactly what race or group do you hail from? From the way you look, you appear to be nothing more than a band of gypsy pirates trying to trash the party..."

"Really? Then allow me to clarify your poor misconception of myself and my subordinates," the man spoke aloud with a dark, humored tone, as he stood to his full height of nearly seven feet. When his boots lifted up with a sign of levitation, the man placed his own arms across his chest as he approached Vegeta's person, glaring down to the insignificantly smaller, glowing man, "you may know my name as Bojack, and the subordinates you callously if not stupidly underestimate, are the Galaxy Soldiers. My personal mercenary force."

"_Bojack?_" Vegeta's eyes widened a fraction, and his smile turned into a frown. He remembered the name all too well. Nearly half a millennium ago, a race of war-like aliens not too far from Planet Vegeta, were all annihilated by someone called Bojack the Unbound. Having razed world after world within the system where he resided, it was said that he was one of the finest soldiers of the Herasians, the race of Hera that had been reduced to ashes, when resisting Bojack's Coup attempt.

He thought Bojack had died long ago, but from what he just saw, that was entirely contrary to what he had been told as a child.

"I am the terror of a hundred worlds, and the bane of my own race. Not even the gods themselves could destroy me! They sealed me and my strongest subordinates within the center of a star, using their own planets as a series of intricate locks to keep my prison of eternal stasis forever untouched. However, as I wrenched myself free of the accursed force that held me captive, I could tell that one of the gods had died and his planet with him," Bojack spoke with a dark mile of white, sharp teeth behind his cruel cold, blue lips, "imagine my surprise, that it was one of your own Saiyan warriors, that made the foolhardy decision in trying to stave off another terror, by the name of Cell to sacrifice the god's own life as well as his own, unknowingly allowing me to escape my age-long prison. I think this world called him, Goku..."

It all became painfully clear to Saiyan prince now. Not only did he take Cell away from this world, but he took him directly to the fabled King Kai's world. Clenching his teeth as he lowered his gaze, he pulled his fists back, before letting out a terrifying howl as his head reared up straight towards the artificial night sky, "KAKAROT! YOU STUPID CLOWN! YOU ARE THE WORST! SUPER! SAIYAN! TO EVER! EXIST!""

What broke him out of his reverie, however, was a full wafting wave of dark Ki hitting him full force. His eyes graced upon Bojack's form, now endowed with a dark aura of violet-black energy, crackling around him with terrifying force, perfect control, and malicious intent. With this being only a fraction of his power, Vegeta knew one thing was clear. This entity was as strong as Cell was when fully powered up!

"Don't worry about the foolish Saiyan, Vegeta," Bojack spoke in a taunting manner, "you will be joining him, and his precious god, soon enough!"

Shaking himself out of his reverie, Vegeta allowed himself a dark chuckle of his own. Raising his gloved fists, he cracked them in emphasis, "Fine by me! I was wondering if I ever needed to show my full power in this Tournament. Your farce of a plan has given me the golden opportunity to do so," raising his hands up in a come-on gesture, Vegeta smiled darkly, "c'mon then, Bojack! Show me what kind of terror you have in store for me!"

Bojack allowed himself to laugh aloud, so much so that Vegeta's brows knitted into a scowl at the insidious man floating not but three meters from him.

"What's so funny?" Vegeta asked with a snarl, finding it hard to find any hilarity in what he just said.

"Foolish Super Saiyan," Bojack spoke with a humored grin, clenching his fists in emphasis, "if you're looking for a fair fight, you're sorely mistaken."

"What are you-?" Vegeta tried to inquire, but it was already too late. Within the blink of an eye, Kogu, Bujin, and Bido appeared on all flanks around him, outstretching their hands and sending a series of transparent threads to lapse around his body.

Within a matter of seconds, he became paralyzed, and helpless to break free from the unnatural binds that held him so tightly.

"What treachery is this?!" Vegeta growled out, finding himself unable to break free from all three's bindings, watching them all laugh darkly, "face me at once, you cowards!"

**WHAM!** Vegeta's eyes went wide as a powerful fist struck his midsection, causing him to gasp in pain. His energy was leaving him, and the more he struggled, the more he lost. What was going on?!

As Bojack retracted his first punch, he grinned sadistically as he threw out one powerful punch after another, as the energy was being sapped from his victim, "Unlike your prior enemies, Vegeta, I'm not afraid of playing dirty! I know how powerful you really are. You may be as strong as I am, if that's even possible. However, I am not going to allow you the chance to unleash it. You're going to die humiliated and alone. Doesn't that sound great! HAHAHAHAHA!"

Vegeta couldn't break free, nor could he soften the punches that felt stronger and stronger, as he felt himself slipping away. Blood and spit coughed out of his mouth, as hulking, powerful fists struck him over, and over, and over. The force of each punch broke the pressure of the air around him, creating deafening snaps that cracked the glass around them all, and cracked the clock tower's face, as Bojack laughed darkly, knowing his victim was totally helpless.

The threads finally receded, as Bojack held the Saiyan prince aloft by his hair, barely conscious as the blue hand painfully held him aloft within the air.

"Game over, Vegeta," Bojack reared his fist back, preparing knock his prey's head off, "say goodbye to your precious world-!"

As Bojack's fist would launch, he would find himself incapable of throwing it. Turning his head, he would briefly see a pair of dark eyes, surrounded by green skin and a pair of protruding antennae, bristling with immense power of his own.

"Who da-RRRRRRGH?!" Bojack would find his own face, startled and confused, slammed inwards by a Namekian fist towards the clock tower, crushing it inwards with immense force before falling apart and atop the vast cathedral.

"Sorry, you were talking too much for my liking, so I had to shut you up," Piccolo spoke wryly, as he noted Vegeta being caught by a black garbed cowboy looking cyborg below. As he turned towards the other three, he smiled at the angry expressions they made for striking their boss, before he pointed at their direction, "incoming."

Within a bright explosion of red light, Yamcha and Tien flew towards the dazed Bido and slammed him down into the town square with an immense uproar of broken tiles, concrete, and crimson energy.

Bujin, once again, found himself turning to see the rushing visage of Gohan, slamming a fist into his face. This ushered another thunderclap of cracked air pressure, as he pinwheeled across the sky and towards an opposite end of the town square, causing another blast of debris to fly in excess of a crackling burst of yellow light.

Kogu fell prey to a descending elbow strike that struck him over the top of his head and straight into the ground, but onto his feet rather than his backside, like his unfortunate allies.

"Hey big shot!" 17 called up to Piccolo, holding Vegeta's unconscious and bloody frame in his arms, "this guy's okay, but he doesn't look like he'll wake up for a good while. Where do you want me to set him down?"

"Take him to the next block over, past the houses and onto the street!" Piccolo ordered, pointing to his right for emphasis, "I want you to come back straight away to help me out. This threat," he looked back, as a brilliant burst of violet energy ripped apart the debris that was formerly the cathedral, showing him only sporting a small scuff mark where Piccolo had punched him in the face, "I'm going to need help with this one."

Rising into the air, Bojack chuckled darkly with amusement, as he allowed his fists to clench and unclench, readying himself for the upcoming battle, "So you must be a Super Namekian. I didn't think any of those were still alive to this day."

"I am the son of Katas, one of the last true Super Namekians. But you may call me Piccolo!" With a vibrant flash of light, Piccolo became cloaked in a heavenly aura of white-blue energy, crackling with fierce intensity and humming with a precise control only he could withhold, "but you may call me, your end, Bojack!"

"Hmmmm, its been awhile since I've smashed some skulls in the heat of battle," Bojack rolled his neck around, causing it to snap audibly, rearing his arms in preparation, "boys! Show these scumbags what true power the Galaxy Soldiers possess!"

And then...the barrier of hopefulness was shattered, upon a prong of three war cries.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Three pillars of yellow-green light erupted from the three battered Herasians, before replaced by dark violet-black auras, as each of them revealed glowing green skin, flourishing scarlet hair, and a influx of immense energy flowing through their bodies.

"Well, so much for this being easy!" Yamcha said in a sheepish grin of nervousness, as he, Tien, Gohan, Piccolo all readied themselves for the fight of their lives.

* * *

**A/N**: _And there you have it! The 6th Chapter of the Vegeta Chronicles. _

_Also, I am ecstatic to announce that we are over 2,000 views strong! I wouldn't have been able to get this far without all of your encouragement, comments, and helpful reviews you've given me up to this point. Its been a thrill to write this as much as it is for me to hear what you think of it. I hope I continue to impress you, and that my writing quality stays strong and exciting to look at as well. _

_If you have any particular questions you want me to answer about what I've done with the Galaxy Soldiers or what I'm planning to do with Bojack, or our protagonists, please list them in your review, or send them through PM. Otherwise, please keep commenting and reviewing! _

_I'll see you guys next time, on the next chapter of the Vegeta Chronicles!_


	7. Crossing the Line! Part I

**THE VEGETA CHRONICLES**

* * *

**Chapter 7 - Crossing the Line! Part I **

* * *

The battle took an unexpected turn for the audience.

In one moment, the battle had been assured for the contestants, and the strange extraterrestrials were flattened through entire arena walls. But then, their aledged true champion approached what seemed to be the leader of these obstacles to going up to the surface. It appeared to be the start of another thrilling battle.

But it would not come to pass. As Vegeta shouted to the heavens his rage before readying himself for a titanic battle, he became surrounded. Three of the four extraterrestrial opponents surrounded him on all sides, raising their hands, and discharging what looked like razor wires from their finger tips. Within an instant, Vegeta couldn't move, and was left helpless before the large gypsy nemesis before him.

"Vegeta!" Bulma gasped in horror. What she saw was nothing but foul play, and sheer brutality. She could almost feel tears well up in her eyes as she saw blood and spit cough up from Vegeta's mouth, a dazed expression of shock and pain clear upon his eyes, and the fading light that once blazed brightly around him. When he was held up by this Bojack's hand by his hair, she couldn't bear to watch any longer, turning her face away to not spare another look.

"Bulma, look!" Chi-Chi spoke in a delighted tone, grasping onto her friend's arm, showing that Bojack had been stopped in the end, and by Piccolo none-the-less.

"Pickle!" Kid Trunks spoke happily, at seeing the familiar green-skinned martial artist.

Bulma smiled with rejuvenated faith as she saw the others join in and take on the alien bandits head-on.

"Trunks...please be safe, as well as you, Vegeta," Bulma whispered

* * *

Fury coursed through her veins.

It was an uncommon emotion that utterly consumed 18, as the red-haired Herasian exchanged blows with her own fists and feet. Never had she felt such vile contempt as well as unforgiving malice towards another being since Cell. This woman had beaten Krillin, a man she cared deeply whom showed her his affections and care for her time and time again. She would make her pay!

When 18 engaged the Full-Powered Herasian, she was on the initial receiving end from the start. With speed and strength nearly doubled from before, Zangya had begun to batter at her defenses and deal several blows to her ribs and face. Tumbling across the battlefield, she left street-wide fissures through the city, collapsing buildings as she was hurtled out a good city block away from Krillin's inert form.

This gave the cyborg a measure of clarity and relief, allowing her mind to calm down and allow the fiery emotion of incompetant anger to override her reasoning and her intelligence. She knew she was smarter than Zangya, as she had been capable of getting the drop on her with ease initially. She can do it again, due to her masked presence as using purely artificial energy.

As she uprighted herself, she looked down and noted only her shredded jacket, shirt and only a few cuts and bruises. Despite the increase of power her enemy possessed, as she notably approached with a look of undeniable rage on her green face, she clearly couldn't break through the superhuman endurance that 18 herself retained.

Zangya's violet-enraptured aura burst brightly from her skin, crackling with ferocity and instability, even as the sickly green skin of hers hummed ominously in tune with the bright red hair that hung vertically to her head. Her eyes held a maniacally wrathful glint, as her smile glistened sadistically. Only a minute into the battle and she felt alive as she pummeled the blonde who so brazenly sucker punched her.

"So, I see you're back up for another beating?! Good!" Zangya cackled as she rushed forth with immense velocity, intending ramming her fists into the stoically standing Android, "I'll enjoy hearing the sound of your bones snapping when I get my hands on-"

"Shut up!" 18 snarled harshly, as she swung her right hand out to her right side, just as Zangya closed in for the kill.

That's when Zangya felt herself being spiraled out of control, and ramming head first into the base of a skyscraper, detonating the reinforcement beneath it. The explosion that rippled through the city block caused 18's hair flourishing about wildly, as she turned give a cold glare towards the collapsing structure atop Zangya, piling and burying her.

"The more you talk, the more I feel your chest size is compensating for the small brain inside your head," 18 mused aloud with a cold tone in her voice.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Zangya roared out with rage, as she sent out an immense explosive wave of violet energy, decimating the collapsed rubble and debris upon her, sending it rocketing to all sides while creating a dense, steaming crater at her epicenter. Fixating her glare upon 18, she balled up her fists as she visibly ground her teeth together, "I'll kill you!"

"By all means, go ahead and try," 18 spoke confidently, waving a beckoning hand, smirking in response as she taunted her enemy, "I want to see you try and actually back up those bold words you got on you...brainless bitchy bimbo!"

"WITH PLEASURE!" Zangya rushed forth, her body leaving a sonic boom from the discharge of Ki used to accelerate herself forward to her prey.

18 dodged to the side, using an unexpected burst of energy from her right flank, while throwing out her own hand out to catch the fist of the green-skinned, red-haired Herasian, pulling her to the side and out of control.

Swinging her fist forward to hit the woman in the exposed ribs, Zangya reached out grappled 18's fist in return, causing their arms to cross over into an uncomfortable positioned grapple of each other's fist.

While Zangya pushed, using her own enhanced strength to pressure the slightly weaker cyborg off balance, 18 kept using her feet to skirt around on the ground.

The dance between the two women would have looked comical, had not the pressure exerted from each of their movements not shattered structure faces nearby, nor flatten the concrete beneath their feet. It was only within a few seconds that the two of them swung around in the air, continuing to try and pressure one or the other to break.

Then, Zangya swung her knee forward, meeting 18's own with a vicious thunderclap, producing a spray of white and red sparks. The force rippled proximate structures as the two femme fatales flung around in awkward circles, side to side, up and down, as they tried to force each other to submit. Glass shattered, concrete cracked, and steel was render into twisted shapes, as they soared across the sky.

**WHAM!** It was Zangya that would make the next move, as her head struck forward, issuing enough force to daze 18 to release her grip, and be roundhouse kicked in the gut.

She found her backside flattened into a steel-reinforced building, indenting it for a good five meters, and wedging her tightly. Before she could find time to recover, Zangya landed a soaring kick into her gut, plowing her through the uninhabited and virtually empty floor of the superstructure. She barely felt the walls cave in and smash as her body ran through the glass on the other side.

She did however feel the impact of a vicious elbow strike towards her backside, causing her eyes to dilate with pain, before her hair was grappled viciously and swung around to meet knee into her gut with a vicious pop of broken air pressure. The moment the thunderclap of force subsided, Zangya lifted up 18 to meet her eyes briefly, showing her sinister grin, throwing her towards the building again.

18 didn't have time to right herself, nor did she have time to anticipate the dozen threads of scarlet-transparent threads that entangled her body, pulling her back viciously and holding her tightly.

"You honestly think you or anyone stands a chance? We are the Galaxy Soldiers!" Zangya flaunted as she tightened the hold on the stationary and grimacing form of the blonde haired cyborg, grinning sadistically at her prey's inability to fight back, "I fought gods alongside my brethren! Plundered countless worlds! Bojack made the strongest of deities quiver in fear, enough to seal us within the center of a star! What makes you think as a lowly human stand up to me?!"

As she raised her free hand up to gather energy for an attack, she heard 18 chuckled with humor at Zangya's statement, "Human? Are you really that dense?"

Raising her cold blue eyes to smirk up confidently and with assurance at her nemesis, she narrowed them upon Zangya, "I'm anything _but_ human!"

With that punctuated statement, 18's eyes lit up bright red as they discharged a straight, cutting beam towards Zangya. What it cut, wasn't flesh and bones, however.

"W-What?!" Zangya gasped in horror, as the top section of her vertically aligned red hair fell off in a sea of lines over her face and down towards the ground below. It was at this point, that her focus on the Psycho Threads had loosened enough for 18 to make her move.

With a defining snap, 18 wrenched herself free of the binding threads, as she rocketed towards her enemy, slamming a hard forward punch into her dazed face with a deafening crack of force.

Violet blood spurt from the Herasian's lips and nose, as part of the reinforced cartilage gave way under the unexpected strike, dazing her further to be struck repeatedly by the cold blonde Android.

18 started with a vicious knee kick to Zangya's gut, projecting a burst of her own energy into the surface of her knee cap, to further exact the thundercracking force. It made Zangya lurch forward with pain, something that 18 was glad to witness.

Swinging her right elbow, she struck the woman in the jaw, followed up with a bridge-hand strike to her eyes, a knee kick to her kidneys, finishing with spinning heel kick to her opponent's exposed left side.

The force from the last kick discharges an electric flash of frictional light exploded within the night sky, as a visible distortion of air pressure followed by the swiftly descending form of the Herasian assassin, colliding into the street below with a mighty clash.

Zangya felt her whole body on fire. Despite the constant output of immense power, coursing through her veins, and empowering her muscles, the enemy of hers had inflicted a surprising amount of damage. As she righted herself to one knee, she could barely release the air out of her lungs before inhaling. Did she have cracked ribs, she wondered. She never had been hurt this much, not even fighting the goddess of the East Galaxy.

"_I never even sensed the build-up of energy, let alone predicted her movements with anything but my eyes. Is she dead? Is she a machine? What kind of monster is she?!_" Zangya could only muse within her mind, trying to mull over a new plan of attack to gain back her initiative.

Before her eyes were raised, her eyes widened startlingly to see 18's boot rushing towards her face, clocking her in the chin and sending her tumbling backwards. Her body wouldn't get far, as her left ankle would be grappled by a bone crushing grip, and slammed into the nearest model store, smashing it to pieces, before crashing into the street face first with a deafening thunderclap of brutal force.

Zangya couldn't even have time to wrench herself from the ground before feeling the unforgiving heel of 18's foot slamming into her spine, holding her in place and crushing her further into the black, broken street.

"Want to hear something funny? I was designed to annihilate the human race, and fulfill the mad ambitions of an evil man, not so different from your leader," 18 spoke aloud with a level tone, as the woman below squirmed and writhed below her shoe, "looking at you now, I see what I could have become if I fulfilled that ambition of his. You have no goals, no dreams, no hope, and only delight in seeing the weak tremble, and the proud buckle in agony before you. You're so pitiful," 18 continued, as she held out a hand, charging up her Photon Flash, emanating a golden glowing orb that grew upon charging, "it'd be better off if I finished you in one blow..."

Zangya could feel her own heartbeat pounding in her skull. The words of the inhuman female pinning her to the ground gave her such rage, and yet, she felt so helpless. Would it really end like this, she wondered. Would she die alone and be cast aside like all the weak garbage who fawned and bowed before Bojack's indisputable might? Is she no better than the rest?

As she felt the heat, devoid of Ki, of a powering up attack she felt herself remember what Bojack had spoken to her, upon naming her the strongest female of his army and one of his strongest Lieutenants.

"_Do you want to be weak, or do you want to be strong?_"

It was at this point that everything around Zangya's vision shifted from darkness, into a field of white.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAH!" As her voice screamed out in utter, carnal rage, her body exploded with violet-white energy that flung 18 off her feet.

Tumbling head over heels for a good ten meters, 18's steaming form skid across the ground on her heels as she balled her fists and grit her teeth.

"Should have finished her off instead of flapping my gums!" 18 growled to herself as she readied herself into a fighting stance.

"You...know...nothing...!" Zangya drawled out, as she slowly rose to her feet, her body swollen with violet bruises, cuts, and purple blood leaking from her chin, lips, nostrils and jawline. Glaring with a violet-white aura, wiping away her irises and the whites of her eyes, it became apparent that she had lost all thought process and reason by the visage she portrayed. Her body became covered with protruding veins, as her arms flexed and ripped away her sleeves, her chest further enlarging, straining her torn and ripped shirt and jacket, and tearing the thighs and calf areas of her scorched, blackened satin slacks.

Her form brimmed with overflowing and barely controlled energy, causing her once curly and cut hair to stick straight up in a sharp, crackling mass, resembling a red vertically aligned mass of knife-edged hairs, coiling with violet bio-electricity. She almost appeared like a deranged alien version of a Super Saiyan.

As Zangya growled out with insane scorn laced within her carnally projected voice, she balled her fists with angered emphasis "You will pay...I swear it upon my life...I WILL MAKE YOU SCREAM IN ANGUISH, FREAK!"

* * *

The battlefield at the mock, dark city's square had erupted quickly into paired off conflicts once again.

Trunks specifically targeted Kogu, feeling unsatisfied from the empty conclusion he had when he managed to land the prior punch through the arena wall. He wanted him dead, and he knew the feeling was mutual. The man had toyed with him, and used unfair play every chance he had in order to humiliate him as well as kill him in a grizzly manner in front of the ignorant audience above them. His mother could have been next if he didn't defeat him. He would not let that happen!

Upon powering up, Kogu locked his cold, black eyes upon Trunks steeled back with emerald ones. Their anger at each other was as palpable as the crackling tendrils of bio-electricity rushing across the surface and air proximate to their skin.

"I'm going to enjoy this!" Kogu spoke with a cruel smile, as a violet-black aura surrounded his body, rocking the earth and crackling the air with intensity. His body had nearly increased by half more his original height, his body rippling with defined muscles, ripping apart all of his upper body wear save for the crimson sash that matched the fiery glowing hair that accented his sickly green skin, thrumming with power.

"Your master's twisted scheme ends here, Kogu!" Trunks snarled out, rearing back his arms as his body flowed with full power his controlled Saiyan form allowed. His hair spiked up, coiling with electrical currents around the golden colored mane, giving him a much more wrathful visage. His sleeveless jacket rippled evenly with his flourishing aura, as he fixated his evenly set glare at his nemesis.

Then, they briefly disappeared within a flickering movement of super-speed, before reappearing high above in the air, trading a number of fists that collided against each other. The quaking shockwaves produced from fists striking and flowing past each other thundered and rumbled the atmosphere with great ferocity. Lightning dotted the skyline as they flew higher and higher into the air as they combated each other with the utmost intensity and focus.

"HA!" Kogu shouted out as he let loose an emerald sphere of energy the size of a beach ball, discharging it only ten meters away and heading towards Trunks fast.

Trunks retaliated with a backhanded slap to the sphere as he skirted to its flank, sending it screeching far into the horizon, allowing a city block sized explosion of blue-white flames to be produced upon its collision.

Shimmering to view in front of Trunks in a bout of super-speed, Kogu launched a knee kick to Trunks' chest with immense force. Upon the Saiyan swiveling his left forearm to brace the impact, a thunderclap of disrupted air pressure, with a spark of hyper-friction crackling upon the epicenter of the impact.

Trunks struck back first, using the close proximity that Kogu's connected kick to help reach him easier, allowing him to launch a swift snap punch to his face.

Kogu grasped the fist, however, before it reached its full extension, keeping it in a iron vice grip that absorbed the buffer of wind that the impact created. With a cruel smile, Kogu reared back his arm and threw out a punch of his own, aiming to use the lack of either arm for defense to better ensure his chance of striking.

"Ngh!" The Super Saiyan narrowly had time to evade, his eyes dilated with intensity, as his neck veered over to the side as the excess edge of the man's thumb nicked his cheek enough to leave a cut in its wake.

Before the Herasian could retract his arm, Trunks left guarding arm opened its palm and clasped it into a perpendicularly aligned grapple, and tossing him to the right, landing a energy-laced snap kick to his left side.

**KRAK-KOOM!** "Gaugh!" Kogu's eyes widened for a moment from the pain, as he felt himself thrown up into the air after a signifying sonic boom from the moment of impact. Even as Trunks flew up after him, he couldn't fathom that despite his power increase, he had yet to overpower the Saiyan in front of him. It baffled his mind, so much so that it dazed him in a brief bout of confusion that allowed him to be struck once more.

"HA!" Trunks threw up an arm within a mere five meters distance, discharging a orb of golden Ki, causing it to rocket towards Kogu's bodily position. Even as his nemesis launched his own orb to detonate it, the explosion did little to slow down the golden-haired warrior, as he rocketed up with an apparent glare on his face, as he swung a haymaker punch to the man's exposed left jaw.

Rippling flesh distorted Kogu's jaw, as his left eye to the impact grimaced from the shock of blow dealt to him. It was all he could do but snarl in return to the Saiyan's accusatory glare flaring at him. As Trunks swung another kick towards his chest, Kogu swung a massive arm to knock it aside with a crack, before barreling forward and launching a lariat strike upon Trunks exposed upper body.

As the breath left the Saiyan-hybrid's lungs, the Herasian propelled his body with maximum speed towards the nearest skyscraper rooftop. Shimmering in and out of view from one spot to the destination, Kogu crashed Trunks body into the superstructure's apex, indenting him with a thunderous collision. Keeping his arm in place, he charged an energy orb near his elbow, Kogu smiled viciously as he spoke with sadistic glee, "Now say goodbye, HRAH!"

The orb met Trunks' midsection detonating the first floor, before hurtling him down the top of the skyscraper to the bottom, detonating and shattering each floor as he descended downwards rapidly. Before Trunks even hit the bottom, half of the skyscraper was already collapsing ontop of itself, just before a mighty explosion rocked its base and ensured the building's untimely destruction.

"Don't want to take any chances!" Kogu growled lowly to himself, as he raised both hands out in front of himself, towards the burning wreckage that piled atop the Super Saiyan's form. With audible snarls of concentration, focusing his energy at a single point between his two palms, a large crackling energy sphere began to form. Not halting till it was the size of a wrecking ball, Kogu shouted aloud as he fired, "HERE'S A PRESENT, SUPER SAIYAN! **_DARKNESS BOMB!_**"

Letting loose the large inflation of Ki downwards, the energy soared downwards, intending on causing a mighty explosion with the target in question at ground zero. Within a matter of seconds, the blazing emerald-white bomb of energy rocketed to its destination, about ready to make ground collision...

As the ground began to buckle under the density and detonating sphere of energy, a golden streak of light burst out from the side and flew upwards with the wake of a golden flame. Kogu was too busy fixating his eyes upon the unfolding explosion to note the flying form that would zoom towards his muscular frame, and land a vicious an open-palm thrust to his chin, throwing his head back with a painful crack and snap.

Even as the flames spurted upwards in a immense column of flames, jutting out a thick black mushroom cloud that flowed up and around the combating warriors, as Trunks and Kogu exchanged blows within the mass of fog-filled air of noxious gas.

Every time they would collide, the air would pop, and blow away the smoke ever so briefly to show the result of the clash. Being it a parry or a direct strike, each one of the blows exchanged by both warriors didn't make either one relent. Spit flew, blood was shed, fists met fists, kicks met each other equally, and the rate of attacks grew as their super-sped movements increased in frequency.

The show would be akin to a cacophony lightning strikes within the fog of war of the smoldering tower of smoke. With every punctuated clash of flesh and bone projected with a vibrant explosion of clashing auras and hyper-friction from points of impact. It would be a dazzling display, for any operational cameras watching the events unfolding.

Trunks knew better than to allow himself to be careless. Not after what he saw them do to Vegeta, when his father dropped his guard, expecting a formal confrontation from Bojack himself. It boiled within his chest that there was demons even darker than Cell or the Androids, that'd stoop to such low levels of decency, dishonor, and disregard for any morality.

As the two fighters rebounded for what was probably the thirtieth time, Trunks flew full force back at the mutually charging Kogu. Both fighters swung out palms for a jutting palm-heel strike, but found both of themselves catching each other's hands into a finger-laced grapple.

It surprised Trunks how much of a similar struggle he had with Cell not too long ago, where he was placed in this position. Now he was the more refined and toned combatant, while Kogu was the bigger and more brutish fighter opposing him. Circumstances aside, it gave the Saiyan-hybrid a bout of nostalgia from that fight, that further invigorated his drive to win.

Emerald-white and golden-white energy began to crackle between the two pairs of clasped palms, as both entities tried to pressure each other. The struggle of two titans, one embroiled in an aura of darkness and the other enraptured in righteous golden light. The force projected from the two made advancing nigh impossible, despite the difference in mass and the tenacity of either warrior.

So, Trunks made himself an opening.

**CRACK!** Trunks briefly leaned back his head before smashing it into the bigger man's forehead, kicking him up into the air, creating two deafening cracks of air pressure. He followed up with a burst of energy behind himself, so he could catch up to the ascending Herasian, before laying on a deafening crescendo of air popping punches, all across the man's torso and face.

"Here's a present from me!" Trunks mocked with a dark smile on his face, as he reared back a fist that broiled with orange-red plasma energy. With a direct downward thrust towards the man's sternum, he roared out the name of his technique, "EXPLOSION FIST!"

**KRAK-KOOM!** Within the epicenter of the high pressurized punch, a generation of star-like mass of orange-red-white energy generated from the Super Saiyan's knuckles. It grew to the size of a wrecking ball within a fraction of the impact's collision, and began enrapturing the Herasian's muscular mass in its searing embrace, before hurtling him downwards. Like a fire ball, the blazing enemy struck the ground with enough potency to rival the Darkness Bomb that he unleashed not but a few minutes ago.

Dropping down to the ground gracefully, Trunks awaited for his enemy to get up, as he settled into a readied stance. He knew his enemy wouldn't have done the same if the situation was reversed. Even still, he felt compelled to present himself in an honorable fashion, while showing the foolhardiness of relying on such dirty tricks to win his battles.

"You can get up now, Kogu. I know that wasn't enough to make you stay down, let alone kill you," Trunks said in a goading tone, lacing his words with a cool-grated tone, with nothing but reprimand and malcontent towards the Herasian bandit.

"Hehehe, not bad Super Saiyan," Kogu chuckled with dark humor, as he wrenched himself from the large, blackened crater, what used to be an apartment complex and sidewalk. His body scored scorch marks that coupled with the many bruises and cuts he suffered throughout the duration of his fight. Violet blood leaked in some places, most notable from the gashed cut on his forehead from Trunks' headbutt, and a series of leaking violet liquid from his broken nose and split lips.

"Its surprising that even at my full power, you remain an equal to me," Kogu spoke with mixed disdain and respect, as he observed Trunks' own disposition. The thrumming aura of golden light that illuminated Trunks' figure showed all of his toned and muscular mass, as well as his injuries. What bruises and scratches that wasn't seen, was shown through a few tears on his muscle shirt and dark blue sleeveless jacket. A distinct, smaller cut was on his own forehead, matching a small dribble of crimson blood that flowed down his jaw from his lip.

With a carnal smile, Kogu knew he still had one definitive advantage over the Super Saiyan. Punctuating his thoughts, he reached for his sword with his left hand, and drew it out into the air, allowing its cruel edge to glimmer in the dim artificial star light, before pointing it at Trunks fully, "You may be slightly better than me with your fists...but...I doubt you can remain as durable against my Devil Blade!"

"Heh," Trunks could only smirk with amusement, at the declaration of confidence that Kogu had within his own weapon, "so let me guess? Its powered by dark emotions and uses evil to cut down anything it makes contact with, right?"

"So if it is?" Kogu queried with an upraised brow, retracting his arm to hold the weapon aloft near his side.

"Too bad for you," Trunks spoke with his own confidence, as he reached into his jacket's right front pocket, and produced a single capsule from it, "I have my own weapon to counter that _wicked_ blade of yours."

With a defining click, Trunks tossed the capsule into the air. Within a few seconds, the capsule exploded in a cloud of smoke, producing a steel guarded broadsword, sheathed in a dark brown scabbard with a crimson shoulder strap. Grasping it with one hand, he straps the scabbard over his chest, before grasping the handle of the familiar, friendly hilt of his weapon of choice. As he began unsheathing it slowly he explained evenly as he renewed his glare, showing off the edge of his blade with a glimmering aura of hope and refined craftsmanship, "This is the Brave Sword. It carves through darkness and leaves nothing in its wake. No evil is spared when this blade cuts into its rotten flesh. A fitting weapon to end your miserable life!"

"We'll see about that!" Kogu snarled, as he held his blade up to divide his facial features, retaining a fencing stance. It looked intimidating, but most of the affect was lost as a large muscled man with green skin and red hair was the one preforming it.

Trunks settled with a spread-foot stance, holding the blade with both hands, as he readied for the inevitable clash of blades.

Even as distant explosions sent intense bursts of wind to flourish the two warriors' hair, clothing, and create a humming sound between both of their blades, they never drew their eyes away from each other. It felt like an eternity, like a clash of wills transpiring before the battle of flesh and steel would be ignited.

As if a distant, large explosion signaled their fight to start, they moved in for the kill and aimed to end this fight at the pointed edge of their blades.

* * *

Bujin snarled viciously at Gohan as he powered up to full strength. His turban and shirt ripped off from the intensity, revealing an anticipated bald head, along with toned muscles and a slightly taller height than before, being nearly a head bigger than Gohan himself. Enraptured in the dark violet-black aura as it thrummed powerfully around him, his sickly pea green skin pulsed with life, as his beady black eyes fixated with a menacing glare back at Gohan.

"You have no idea who you're dealing with," Bujin spoke with a renewed sadistic smile working upon his face, "I've fought the best in my path and they've all fled. We even caused the gods to take pause. What makes you think you're any better, punk?!"

"Every guy I fought has boasted similar. You're no different from the others," Gohan spoke with a stoic, unbreakable calm as he glared at the man who helped orchestrate the masquerade from the beginning under his master's orders, "Nappa, Dodoria, Recoome, Ginyu, Freiza, Cell. No matter in what form of evil you are or what desire you possess, you're all just a bunch of bullies. Let me tell you something," narrowing his eyes a fraction sharper, Gohan spoke with a lethal edge as his aura ignited to full power, with a mighty thrum of force, "_I **hate** bullies!_"

"Bullies rough up small fries, kid. I've fought with beings that once thought they were nigh untouchable," Bujin crossing his arms over his chest confidently, the bald Herasian hovered up into the air, "my psychic powers have reduced beings twice your strength down to their knees. Let's see how you fair."

It all happened in a single moment.

Gohan found himself lifted up into the air without his own control, and then hurtled into a distant pack of business buildings, crashing through structures and streets along the way. The fissure left in his wake tore an immense gouge of force within the mock city's landscape.

"_Was that...telekinesis?_" Gohan thought as he pried himself from the debris, regaining his footing, even as Bujin hovered high above his position.

With a gesture of his right hand, Bujin sent a crackle of transparent energy around the ruined structures covering Gohan's proximity. Within a matter of seconds, the entire earth began to lift up and fold over, trying to crush Gohan with an immense invisible pressure that grew and grew the closer it got to his body. It shrank to the point where it struck the size of a beach ball, straining against the struggling, curled form of Gohan from within.

"I'm going to squash you into dust, you little runt!" Bujin cackled with a set of bright white teeth, clenching his fist in emphasis as the ball of earth and metal grew smaller and smaller.

The ball itself began to crack, and Bujin felt his hold over the singularity of crushing force wane. His eyes widened with surprise, as the whole ball cracked all over, sending streaming golden light pouring out, before heating up red hot. Then, an enormous explosion was let loose, as orange-yellow flames flew out in every direction, forcing Bujin to ascend higher to escape the licking flames.

"Is that all you got?" Gohan spoke aloud, ascending from the flames with a thrumming aura of golden energy flourishing brightly within the cold, dark atmosphere. His arms were held at his sides, and a pair of unyielding emerald eyes stared at Bujin expectantly, "you'll have to do a lot better than that to push me to my limits, Bujin."

"You certainly got a mouth on you, brat!" Bujin twitched with irritation, still holding a dark smile all the same. With a mere alternating gesture from his outstretched right hand, he sent another wave of transparent energy, changing its signature once more. This time, the very flames birthed from Gohan's explosion expanded and flourished, shaping into an enormous tower of searing heat that devoured him within an instant, "let's see how you get out of this alive-"

It happened so suddenly. Within a single clap, Gohan distorted the air around him, issuing a sonic boom to expand and break the fabric of space which the flames fed off the air around it. In doing so, the earth beneath became flattened, and a violent flourishing wind dispelled the flames entirely. Bujin had to raise a hand up to shield himself from the flowing currents sent his way.

As Gohan reengaged his expectant, green eyes to gaze into Bujin's twitching black ones, the Herasian began to plot. He knew he was way above the others he used these prior techniques upon the young Saiyan-hybrid prodigy's body. He deflected each of them with ease and didn't look phased in the least. He began thinking of a better way to use his powers most effectively against the boy, and gain the upper hand once more.

"Hmmm...perhaps using something more finite and continuous, rather than rely on bulk and mass to overpower him is the best way to go," Bujin thought, regaining his composure once more.

With that said, Bujin ignited his violet-black aura around his body, dramatically holding his arms out to both sides of his body, raising them methodically slow for affect. In doing so, Bujin tugged on several dozen structures outlining the entirety of a quarter of the mock city, lifting them up, and balancing them around like puppet-strung moons, floating and rotating in the middle of the air.

Despite the impressive display of power Bujin had, Gohan didn't flinch an inch, and merely prepared himself for the oncoming barrage of superstructures.

But, it didn't happen like he anticipated.

With the faintest twitched along the knuckles of his outstretched hands, nearly one third of the thirty six buildings floating in the air all began to separate and dismember into thousands of fragments. Crushing them down, reshaping them, and turning them into razor and blunted projectiles numbering in the tens of thousands, while super-heating them in a bout of violet flames. It looked like an entire invisible division of archers were lined up behind him, with nothing but building and skyscraper fragments.

"Have a few of these!" Bujin spoke with a cackle, as he began to grind the others likewise, as he invisibly guided all of the burning debris-crafted spears towards Gohan, flying past his own body with immense velocity, as they intended on battering and ripping the young boy apart.

Time seemed to slow for the Gohan as the projectiles closed in on him. They appeared to be moving fast to an outside viewer, but to him, he could see every flickering tongue of energy coiling around bent metal, glass, and stone formed weapon heading his way. It didn't take long to harden his body and intensify the points along the edges of his knuckles and feet, to prepare to counter each of them.

Finally, it was time to show what training with Vegeta for six months has accomplished.

To Bujin, what he saw almost looked impossible. Without moving a single foot from his spot, Gohan's arms were moving too fast for his eyes to see past his own volley of wreckage, as they all began shatter, deflecting and reflecting the raining debris heading his way. Fists and feet flew in a beautiful, stationary dance to repel each of the thousands upon thousands of attacks heading his way.

Within a show of desperation, Bujin sent all of the remaining structures and debris-fire-laced lances at his disposal, not caring if they would collide with each other, so long as he would even lay a scratch upon Gohan's small frame. His forehead began to bead sweat, as Gohan continued to be unmoved by the storm of debris and wreckage sent his way, ever-so presently glaring in his direction, with those accusatory green eyes of his. The very ones that pissed him off to no end, and yet, held a fraction of fear seeing up close.

As the structures flew close to Gohan's fists, they met the same fate as the arrows, but blasted into dust from the force that the young Super Saiyan projected from his knuckles, showing no sign of stress nor effort employed upon his youthful body from doing so. With a brief inhale and exhale, he lowered his arms to his sides again, as there was nothing left for Bujin to use against him as a weapon, at least, within their area.

"_That...damned...brat!_" Bujin growled as he balled his fists, powering up his body in violet-black Ki, flowing towards Gohan with one last plan in mind, knowing it could be his last shot in breaking the kid's composure apart, "_I'm going to rip him apart with my bare hands!_"

"_Go on and charge at me. The only reason I didn't allow myself to react was to get you angry,_" Gohan thought as the Full-Powered Herasian gained distance rapidly between the two of them, as he himself, readied into a fighting stance, "_the moment you dive at me, I'll just move to the side and use a counterattack move. I can do this dance all day, no matter how many times you charge. In the end, you can't surprise me!_"

True enough, Gohan saw Bujin launch himself with a flying kick, smashing the ground that Gohan stood upon mere moments ago.

Moving to the side, Gohan thrust out his fist to punch Bujin...only to find his hand completely been evaded, and found Bujin himself slamming an elbow into his exposed right side. Gasping in pain, the Super Saiyan swung a kick at Bujin, finding it blocked and grappled, before he felt himself painfully swung into the ground, and then kicked into the earth.

Something was wrong, and Gohan knew it. Every move was easily anticipated, countered, and then used against him. How could Bujin start turning the tide of the battle against him so swiftly.

Then, he recalled, exactly what kind of fighter Bujin was. An illusionist and a psychic, he rarely relies on frontal confrontations and relies on mental-based powers. Telekinesis, Pyrokinesis, and now Telepathy. It was clear Bujin was at a level that beings like Chiaotzu and Guldo, even Freiza, could only dream of employing on their own.

As he tried to figure out a way to counter it, as his body began to be railed relentlessly by Bujin, drawing spit and blood from his mouth, as the rejuvenated Herasian cackled madly at the turn of the tide of the battle between them. He remembered at one point Piccolo and Vegeta giving him pointers on how to deal with psychics, and possible ways of turning his own thoughts against them. But he knew better than to try and start a mental battle, as his experience with the psychic-level of his own abilities were still fresh and sketchy. The best he could do was...

Then it hit him, just as Bujin hit him straight in the jaw, popping the air flow immediately within the atmosphere, sending him spiraling across the field of debris from which he wrenched all the structures to use against him.

"_If I concentrate on a certain image when I strike, something that would disrupt the flow of reading my thoughts proximate to him, I should be able to keep him from continually predicting my attacks. And I know of only one real frightening monster...a being that would make even make this Bujin, his comrades, and his leader quake at the sight of him. And that is..._" Gohan began to muster the most terrifying recollection of the being in question as Bujin began to rocket towards him, simultaneously trying to draw a blank within his forethoughts as he did so.

Drawing to a halt, Gohan reengaged his passive stance, despite the many bruises enamored across his body, and the blood dripping from his mouth from the last punch striking his jaw.

"Whatever you're planning won't work on me! I know you're every move before you make it," Bujin cackled as he reached his prey, swinging his right fist towards him as he began to delve into his enemy's mind, "your thoughts are but mere pages, begging to be read by m-"

What Bujin saw, petrified him to a halt, his fist stopping a mere fraction from Gohan's face as he saw something else. A hulking, monstrous Super Saiyan stood in his place, towering over the form of the boy he tried to pummel moments before. Draped from the waist down were greek-style crimson and satin slacks, with signs of royal jewelry wrapped firmly around his neck. What was more noticable was his white-out eyes, vacant of any irises or life, but a sadistic grin was present to show he was very much alive. Easily over ten feet tall, with massive tank-sized muscles, his skin was flowing with sickly green energy over gargantuan form that dwarfed even Bojack's.

It was all that Bujin could do from falling onto his haunches in terror, as the psychically manifested avatar of Broly entered Bujin's mind, as he stalked towards him with massive steps forward.

"**I choose you to be the first of my victims,**" a distorted, carnal growl came out of the wickedly smiling titan's mouth, ringing within Bujin's mind and ears, as a large fist bowled into his gut...

When the force officially sent the air out of his lungs, everything became clear, as Gohan launched an effective right hook into his midriff, discharging a large blast of kinetic energy with his Ki into his gut, grinding across the surface of his green skin. When fully twisted, Gohan propelled Bujin across the horizon, with the sound of astounding thunder, and the wake of a golden-enraptured aura of a rocket that sent him flying through nearly a mile of structures, before crashing into the base of another skyscraper.

Feeling himself cough up blood, Bujin barely felt any sensation in his body. He could definitely feel that was damage he couldn't shrug off, even at max power. Bujin had never been so humiliated, not since the Kais imprisoned him and his brothers and sister in arms into the epicenter of the star with their leader. Even as vile bile, saliva, and violet blood flowed between his clenched teeth and down his chin, he couldn't help but become overwrought with rage and borderline despair.

As Gohan shimmered into view, nary a few meters in front of him, he wrenched himself up to his feet, staggering as he did so. As his upper body hung over, he chuckled in a raspy, hoarse tone, showing that he was on his last legs. There was no more hope but his greatest technique he developed within the half year of freedom they planned this mission. He knew it would crush the brat, but he might not keep the Island intact. In this case, he knew Bojack would kill him.

"Better to die by his hands, than by this Saiyan child's I say," Bujin thought as his eyes widened with focus. Rearing his arms back, his body began to bulge dramatically, as veins protruded all across his bare head, torso, and limbs, as he fixated an intent glare upon Gohan, "you have left...me...no choice...but to give up my life...in order...to kill you...Son Gohan...RRRRRRR...RRRRRRRRRRR...RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

His body's height doubled, then doubled again, each time the cloth barely was kept in sync with his unbelievable ascension in height and mass. Muscles bulged, his chin widened, and his mass that burned a bright white-violet aura around his titanic form continued to grow. By the time the transformation had ended, his body had reached to the height of a skyscraper, and his width was nearly double that. With nothing but huge muscles and unknown strength at his disposal Bujin chuckled deeply as he fixated his eyes down at his infetestimally smaller enemy.

Like David and Goliath, the battle looked dire for the lesser sized boy and the much larger giant.

"I'm going to squash you under my heel, little Saiyan," Bujin chuckled with a voice almost equitable to thunder, as he prepared to end the fight once and for all.

* * *

Bido glared at the two humans who blindsided him. As he powered up, his jacket ripped off from the force, revealing a much more muscularly defined set of pectorals and a defined abdomen. Flexing his triceps and biceps, his sickly green skin hummed as a violet-black aura wrapped around him. With a flaming red Mohawk that glistened just as brightly as his greenish-hued skin, Bido's power had granted him an astronomical boost in power.

Tien and Yamcha recognized that fact immediately, even upon choosing him for the two of them to fight.

Upon the battle igniting for the two humans vs the hulking monster before them, it began immediately without banter or pause.

Tien took up a stance to point at Bido, charging a crackling spurt of yellow Ki, before discharging it with rapid speed and penetrative power towards him, "Dodon Ray!"

Bido's body reflexively bent to the side, rushing forth to punch Tien straight in the jawline. He was only interrupted when a condensed orange sphere of energy rushed forward and struck him in the face, giving Tien enough time to grapple the arm, and hurtle him over his shoulder, igniting his aura of silver energy just as Yamcha did for himself.

Bido rolled over with a sadistic grin on his red-bearded face, as he flew towards the two warriors with a higher rate of speed, smashing both of his arms with a double clothesline strike to their upper bodies, rocketing his form through over a dozen structures, his body jettisoning forth to ram them through each of them, and inflict as much damage as he could.

Then, they spoke in unison a definitive cry, "KAIO-KEN!"

**KRAK-KOOM!** Within an explosion of red energy, the two halted Bido's movement, pushing him back long enough, to allow the two of them to backpedal a good dozen feet away from the massive monster.

"HA! So even the humans learned the god-king's technique, eh?! It won't save you from me!" Bido spoke with recognition, visibly remembering King Kai's use of it against Bojack, having failed even in the end to stop their leader as one of the more powerful gods of the universe. What could two humans do with a technique like that?

"Yamcha," Tien whispered to him, his three eyes turning to meet Yamcha's two in response, "I know you haven't mastered the Kaio-ken to the degree Krillin and I have. Don't push yourself, or this could get worse a lot quicker for you."

"Don't talk down to me, Tien! I can handle myself," Yamcha spoke back with a bit of grit, veins began to protrude along his skin as he concentrated on expanding and raising the amount of Ki flowed through his body, brightening the aura, causing it to white out his eyes with silver-red hues devoid of irises, "I am going to give 100% this time around! You should do the same!"

"Right," Tien spoke with acknowledgement, as he himself pushed to the maximum he could afford. They couldn't afford to dance around this guy, being as strong as he was. They had to power up to the max and deal as much damage within a short amount of time. With that said, Tien himself began to strengthen and bolster his Kaio-ken to the maximum he could take it, being much higher than Yamcha's, causing his body to be ripped with massive bulging muscles, and crackling crimson tendrils ebbing from his skin. His own eyes were wiped away by crimson-white flares of light, as his forehead became perforated with bulging veins with concentration.

"KAIO-KEN, TIMES TEN!" Tien shouted out aloud as a rolling storm of crimson flame emblazoned his figure and colored his body blood red. The force dispersed the air with immense force and broke the earth beneath him.

"KAIO-KEN, TIMES SIX!" While less intense, Yamcha burst of red Ki ignited the air as well, making him more than a challenge to the bulked-up Herasian that stood before them. Growling aloud, he gave off an intimidating visage almost uncharacteristic for himself, as his red glowing eyes fixated with an intense glare upon Bido's person.

Bido himself was stunned in the face of such immense power. Within just a few seconds ago, he had easily took their hits with no affect, and hurtled them around like rag dolls. Now, they were easily on par, if not much higher strength than his own. Had mere mortals...surpassed gods?!

With the moment of daze enrapturing his dim-witted mind, it gave all the opening Tien needed, as he rushed forth and planted a swift elbow strike to his abdomen. With a loud crack of broken air pressure, Bido felt himself lurch forward and gape, the pain being incredulous to be possible to comprehend. Wasn't he supposed to be stronger than them?

"WOLF FANG FIST!" Yamcha roared out with enhanced vocal chords, as he caught the stunned Bido in the face with a snap kick, following with a furious flurry of punches and kicks, railing them all over his body with a series of popping cracks of bio-electricity and broken air currents. Bido was helpless to do anything but raise his arms to block against the incessant assault.

Lost to the haze of adrenaline, Yamcha pushed back Bido for a good twenty meters of distance, cracking the air while glaring heatedly at his newfound nemesis, growling and roaring out like a beast. Bido felt the pops of hyper-friction and force break the structures around him before he even barreled through them by his current attacker.

Pulling back after nearly 30 seconds of endless assault, Yamcha propelled himself up into the air, sticking his right hand up while clasping his forearm as he charged an attack.

Meanwhile, Tien himself switched off, swinging his knee to strike Bido's upraised forearm, followed up with a haymaker to the face, causing the giant to stumble backwards. The force of Tien's strikes were a lot more prominently placed and packed a bit more force, speed, and focus than Yamcha, but came a bit more seldom. Bido found that he could withstand the strikes to a certain point, but he hoped that they wouldn't continue their assault. At the way it was going, they may cripple from the pain they'll inflict on his body.

Just as suddenly as the other man pulled out, so too did the bald fighter, just as a wrecking ball sized sphere of orange-white-red energy rushed forward. Making contact with Bido's outstretched palms, it blew him off his feet for a good fifty meters. The heat stung the edge of the Herasian's finger tips, and the strain within his muscles was apparent. Despite them being non-Saiyans, the humans had risen to a level where they were surpassing him at every turn.

With a sudden twitch of rage upon Bido's upper brow, he slammed his heels into the earth, stopping dead in its tracks. Struggling, visibly emphasized with bulging veins perforated all across his muscular body, Bido pushed the ball of energy one step after another, trying to keep sending it back one foot at a time.

It surprised Yamcha that despite the force he was forcing the ball with he exerted in addition, he couldn't push him any farther. In fact, the idea that the Herasian was pushing back against both the ball of condensed and focused energy, as well as the invisible tether of force that added to its momentum, was uncanny and proved to be a testament to the Galaxy Soldier's true strength.

**POW!** "HRAAA!" Bido then took one fist back and struck it with incredible force, so much so, that Yamcha loss momentary control over the transparent harness that allowed him to guide his Super Spirit Ball.

But Tien was quick to react, clasping his hands together, before shaping it into a triangular shape and homing in upon the ball heading their way. As the lens of Ki focused upon the exact center of the incoming mass of volatile orange-white energy heading their way, he took a deep in hale, and then a deep exhale, before discharging his technique.

With a sudden shout, "TRI-BEAM, HA!" Tien fired a diamond-shaped blast of intricate yellow energy, soaring with immense velocity and barely recognizable speed, as it rocketed towards the incoming mass of energy. Modified to a degree it would not hit a explosive spot, Tien's Tri-Beam smacked the ball of energy and sent it hurtling back at Bido.

"Oh hell," Bido snarled, as he put all of the strength he had into the soles of his feet, jettisoning himself up into the air, avoiding the ball entirely. With a vicious gleam in his eyes, he charged energy into either hand, ready to discharge twin orbs of emerald Ki back at his enemies.

However, he had completely forgot the fact that Yamcha's Super Spirit Ball was manipulated by him...and when Tien struck it back forward, his tether was reattached allowing it to zoom diagonally up and backwards, directly into the backside of Bido. His eyes bulged as his voice howled in pain, even as Yamcha swung it down towards Tien's direction.

"Hey, Tien! Up for a game of ball?!" Yamcha asked with a smile, even as his eyes glowed with an inhuman pleasure in causing so much misery to his enemy.

"Sure thing!" Tien smiled back, jettisoning his body forward with enough momentum to meet the descending Bido. Cupping his fists together, he struck the large figure back up into the air, along with the Super Spirit Ball, jumping up with them and repeating the process several more times. With the gargantuan sized ball of red-orange energy pinning his backside, the Herasian could only brace his body for each impact, each one being stronger than the last, number up to six punts in total.

Tien then pushed his passively glowing body to scream up and around to the top of the Super Spirit Ball. Holding both fists over his head, her combined a lot of latent energy around his hands, before striking it fully.

**KA-POW!** Like a deified hammer smashing an anvil of fire and light, a mighty crack of red lightning projected in between the space of the Super Spirit Ball. Soaring down with incredible momentum, the explosion that unfolded before the two's eyes, momentarily blinding them as ground below buckled, rolled, and became decimated within a single fireball of massive proportions.

Panting, Tien felt his Kaio-ken aura defuse, and his body burn up like it was on fire. With sweat beading across his massive frame, it was all he could do to lower himself down slowly, only to be caught by Yamcha. Looking over, the exhausted man smiled weakly as Yamcha had only lowered his Kaio-ken a notch to a times five multiplication, and still looked like he could keep going.

"I don't know how you have such great Ki control, Yamcha, but you sometimes even put Krillin to shame when it comes to manipulating energy so much longer than the rest of us," Tien spoke admittedly as he felt himself tap onto the ground.

"Well, I'm obviously the most talented guy on the team, so what you expect?" Yamcha chuckled in a jocular manner. However, their chuckles were halted short, as they saw the distant figure emerge from the pillar of smoke and flames, "you got to be kidding me?! He's still alive?!"

With a brief shimmering movement, Bido appeared before them with an angry scowl on his face. His Mohawk had been burnt by the explosion, his skin scarred and burn all across his shoulders, upper chest, and arms. Yet somehow, he stood, with only half of his strength diminished form the blast and the beatings that he took. The violet-black aura burned as darkly as the glare in his eyes towards the two humans standing before him.

"You're dead meat!" Bido snarled as he rushed forward, to execute the ones who caused him so much pain.

* * *

The battle between Super Namek and Super Herasian began within the moment that the latter gave his orders to his subordinates.

Piccolo shimmered out of view in sync with Bojack, meeting him up in the air, his fist striking an upraised elbow. While they both exerted contrasting auras, one of blue-white, and the other vibrant violet-black, the Namekian knew all too well that he was on the underhanded position of the battle set before him. Like his time spent fighting against Freiza in his Second Form or Cell in his Imperfect Form, every time he engaged in a battle where he was outclassed, he knew that it was only with his cunning and strategy that he had a chance making a dent in the enemy.

This time would be no different.

"You're going down, Bojack!" Piccolo growled out, as he retracted his fist, and swung up a snap kick, caught by Bojack's opposing palm with relative ease. He glared at the smile that was projected by the monster set before him.

"Oh by all means, do try," Bojack taunted, as he pulled the Namekian with incredible force, before throwing him directly into the rubble that remained of the cathedral, "it makes it all the more enjoyable for me when I watch you weep in despair, cry in agony, and stare at me with eyes of despair, void of all hope. After all, I am a harbinger of destruction. I enjoy the sight of death, agony, and suffering around me. This...is no different than the hundreds of worlds I've-"

**CRACK!** Caught in mid-monologue, not having paid attention to the fact of the swift rebound Piccolo had upon the earth, an elongated arm snapped up at swift speeds and clocked him in the chin with a powerful snap of colliding force, before snapping back with a swift retraction.

"Shut your trap and fight!" Piccolo yelled out, shimmering out of view from the ground, before reappearing before Bojack, renewing a vicious flurry of punches and kicks towards the Herasian ringleader's form. The claps of thunder produced within the sky were only enriched by the sparks of light from the colliding and battling auras that the two warriors held vibrantly close to their skin and clothes.

As Bojack came in for a punch, Piccolo narrowly dodged to the right, before his eyes flashed a bright light that stunned the Herasian bandit. Following up, Piccolo channeled energy to his antennae, discharging a wave of paralytic energy into Bojack's form, incapacitating him further. Not bother to waste any movement, Piccolo reared back his head, and then released a mouth-full of yellow energy, striking Bojack fully, hurtling him across the skyline and into a nearby skyscraper, exploding a good portion of its surface.

Halting a good dozen meters, Piccolo kept his body in a ready stance, as Bojack's form emerged. With only a few scrapes marred upon his frame, his clothes seemed to have suffered more damage than actual harm done to him. A testament to it was the fluctuating violet-black aura that rippled up and over his skin. It was at this point, Piccolo realized what happened.

"You managed to erect a barrier the moment before you struck the skyscraper face, didn't you?" Piccolo queried aloud.

Bojack chuckled in knowing, rolling his neck side to side, popping it audibly as he observed him, "You're sharp. A lot smarter maybe than the god-king I fought against? It won't save you. You're about as strong as he is, maybe even stronger, without even the aide of a Kaio-ken. The legend of Super Namekians are true after all. I guess I'll have to play a little harder then..."

"Why can't you just-NGH?!" Piccolo tried speak further, but found his face clamped hard by a sudden large muscular hand, gripping his face in a vice grapple. Then, a point blank blast of green energy flowed outwards, but low enough that it didn't do much more than stun Piccolo and burn his skin. As he coughed, Bojack elbowed him in the chest with immense force, causing his eyes to bulge, forcing him to fall to the earth far below, met by descending double kick into his backside, creating a immensely sized crater beneath his feet.

"I'm barely getting started," Bojack spoke with a bored, mocking tone, letting off his feet from the Namekian's back, before reaching to grasp him by the collar, yanking him up to look at his cold smile and dark eyes, "don't tell me you're quitting, are you?"

"Ma...Ma..." Piccolo uttered, as his head hung and his body appeared limp in Bojack's grip.

"Hm?" Bojack arched a brow in curiosity, as he leaned his pointed ear to listen to what Piccolo was trying to say, "you said something?"

**KRAK-KOOM!** A violent blast of blue-white energy blasted from Piccolo's form, causing Bojack to lose his grip and stumble back. Piccolo smiled darkly as he leaped towards the wide-eyed Bojack, shoving both palms forward, as he would generate a orb of yellow energy in both hands, "DOUBLE MASENKO!"

A dazzlingly large and bright discharge of twin fissures of yellow energy struck Bojack without warning, bowling him over, and thrust him across town square into a string of desolated shopping buildings, devoid of any actual people or items of interest within, so the explosion wrought no emotional consequence that followed in an magnanimous display of power.

"That looked like it hurt," 17 stated dryly, as he whizzed into view and standing directly next to Piccolo's slightly tattered and bruised form. Observing him up and down, he smirked pointedly, "then again, it looks like he did a number on you too, so I guess it was earned."

"If you're done talking big, I have a plan," Piccolo spoke with a roll of his eyes.

"I'm all ears, big guy," 17 spoke with a cocky grin, pocketing his hands into his jean pockets, "just tell this cowboy what he needs to do."

"You have the advantage of limitless stamina and energy, as well as being incapable of being sensed. I want you to throw as many unpredictable strikes as you can to keep him off balance. That'll buy me enough time to give him some real damage," Piccolo spoke with a low tone, smiling at the end at the ideas racing through his head.

"Distraction? Meh, sounds lame. But then again this guy is like Cell on steroids, so I'll take your advice," 17 spoke with a confident smile, grabbing the tip of his hat, before throwing it up dramatically as he prepared himself for battle, "after all, I'd hate to be in your position..."

"Don't rub it in, kid!" Piccolo grunted as he settled into a fighting stance, as Bojack rushed forth from the ground zero of his impact zone, "here he comes!"

Shimmering out of view, 17 moved into the shadows the best he could, to avoid a direct confrontation outright.

When Bojack appeared before Piccolo, he had a snarl plastered onto his face that spoke volumes of his anger towards Piccolo, "You cheeky bastard...I'll kill you slowly for that last attack!"

"Funny, I pegged you as the kind of man that would have done so anyways," Piccolo jeered, as he rushed forth and renewed his clash with the gypsy pirate king once more.

Piccolo found his fists meeting Bojack's, sending reverberations of pain down his limb, which he forced to work past. Even if Bojack was stronger than him, he'd match him blow for blow. He'd hold him off, and do his best to take him down, until one of the others could help him out. So, he pushed past the irritating sensation of pain, and thrust out a snap kick, forcing Bojack to sidestep away and break the knuckle lock.

Blazing with a holy aura, Piccolo charged with a roar, swinging his legs and fists to renew the struggle between them. Movements of their limbs blurred and distorted, moving too fast for the ordinary eye to see, the shockwaves peeled the concrete off the earth around them, shattering glass a solid mile around them, and sent flourishing ripples of crackling air pressure from the flashes of energized light generated between the two of them.

"I'm impressed you can hold your own like this. I haven't found an equal in combat since the god-king or his master," Bojack spoke with a reveling smile, speaking volumes of his enjoyment with his clash with the Namekian, "sadly, I don't think you can keep up with me for much longer."

"I don't need to keep up with you," Piccolo smiled wryly, as he suddenly withdrew with a back flip, forming two golden orbs in his before firing them at him, then began throw them in quick succession, "HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!"

Bojack narrowed his eyes at the incoming blasts, all of them soaring at him from various angles. As he leaped up into the air to the dodge the initial miss-fires, that flowed beneath him. Then, he saw a number of blasts come from up above, causing his eyes to widen with genuine surprise. When did someone get above him to fire a barrage?

Then, he realized the plan. He became completely entombed within a massive ring of yellow orbs, each one of them packing a powerful explosive yield.

In unison, the voice of 17 above and Piccolo below, shouted in sync, "HELLZONE GRENADE!"

As all the blasts began to close in on Bojack, a cacophony of thunderous impacts were made at its epicenter. Causing a series of rolling explosions to emerge forth from the space of which the two aimed for.

Unfortunately, it wasn't realized until too late, that the explosions didn't come from the impacts they made upon Bojack's figure. Much rather, they were all being bounced around by the rapidly swung fists and feet of the Herasian, all of them detonating away from his form and reducing any damage preformed upon him to mere deafening shockwaves that riddled his body.

As the explosions all died down, Bojack was confronted by 17 once again, appearing behind him within a distinctive shimmering movement of super-speed. Swinging his legs around for a double kick to be planted at the his lower back, he propelled himself away from a retaliatory swipe from Bojack by discharging a stream of Reverse Kamehameha energy from his feet, sending him staggering into a vicious knee kick into his back.

Now Bojack had to worry about two opponents of skills that both cautioned and perplexed him. Every time he turned around to deal with Piccolo, he found 17 annoyingly striking at his more vulnerable spots, sending light jabs of pain running down his skin. When he reacted, more brutal blows would be dealt by the Namekian, causing him to have to switch from giving his full strength to one or the other, he had to focus on the two unpredictable enemies set before him.

"_And here I thought Vegeta was the only problematic entity here,_" Bojack thought with dark humor.

However, in the midst of the brutal exchange, Bojack had managed to catch one of Piccolo's legs, and swing him around to meet 17 in the side, propelling the Android a good ten meters away with a crackling pop. The Namekian would find himself smashed into the earth, kicked into it until he would find himself barreling into the sewage that ran underneath the mock city, a vast crater of cracked concrete and asphalt surrounding him at the epicenter.

"I'll be back in a moment for you, Super Namekian," Bojack clucked his tongue down towards the groaning Piccolo, as he turned to walk purposely slow towards the wincing and gasping 17.

His jacket had been ripped and dirtied from the encounter, with his jeans and shirt being in similar condition. Blood dripped down his cheek, as he nursed his side from where Piccolo's body had struck him.

"So, machine-man, had enough?" Bojack asked with a cruel smile, his body sporting little to damage from the several bruises adorning his blue skin that showed beyond his unique choice in clothing, "or do you want me to end it now?"

"Actually," 17 clasped his hands so his finger tips and thumbs would touch, crackling with intensity, as he continued to pour forth energy into the recesses of space between his palms, "I got one more trick that might do it. Just give me a few seconds and I'll reach full power. Think you can take it, or are ya a scaredy cat, big man?!"

"An interesting proposal," Bojack spoke with feigned interest, quickly shifting it into a cruel smile. Raising a hand, he began to power up a large green-white sphere of energy in front of him, that made 17's brow sweat with nervousness, "but I think I'll pass. Say goodnight, little worm-"

"RRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The roaring voice of Piccolo jolted Bojack out of his concentration. Shifting his gaze over his head, he gaped as the once evenly height Namekian was now a giant. Not only was he coiled with a bright aura of blue-white energy. With a swivel of his right hand, braced by his left hand, Piccolo's magnified voice roared out, "GIANT MASENKO!"

It was to Bojack's chagrin, that 17 also fired simultaneously to Piccolo's attack, "LIGHT GRENADE!"

As the immense pillar of energy struck Bojack dead on, along with the exploding fissure of energy the bullet caused, an explosion of magnanimous proportions detonated between the two combatants, knocking them off their feet, and annihilating town square, as well as the elevator that was their original exit to the surface of the stadium.

As the entirety had faded into a blast of white-yellow light, it was unclear whom would come out unscathed, and who would suffer the consequences of the blast...

* * *

**A/N**: End Part I

_For those who've read this chapter when it was a big clump of words, let me just say that after seeing several reviewers work up the nerve to tell me that it was a chore for them to read, I began reconsidering how this chapter was laid out. Asking a few opinions here and there, while the overall public didn't mind the mass of Epic action, it might be tiring for someone to read THAT much in one sitting. So in immediate affect, I'm dividing Chapter 7 into three parts, thus making Chapters 7-9 ABOUT the original Chapter 7. _

_In this manner, those who would like to re-read this awesome piece of epic action, now you know why its been remodeled and for what purpose. I'll attach my original end thoughts of the original chapter on the 3rd Act/Part on Chapter 9. _

_For future reference, I'll try not to go that high again, just so I can keep your interest invested enough and you enjoy it all the same. _


	8. Crossing the Line! Part II

**THE VEGETA CHRONICLES**

* * *

**Chapter 8 - Crossing the Line Part II**

* * *

The stadium was in an uproar.

While the battles were both vibrant and exciting to watch, the shockwaves that shook their seats began to alarm them overtime. That, and the constant camera malfunctions to either electrical malfunctions or them meeting an untimely end by one of the proximate battles taking place, caused the audience to become more wary of their current seating.

"What's going on?! I-Is this part of the show?!"

"Someone please tell me this is part of the act!"

"This is awesome! I can't believe we got seats like this!"

"Who are these guys?! How are all those buildings exploding?!"

"Is someone going to fix the cameras soon? I want to see more of this battle!"

These were but the sampling of more of the closer by citizens that were nearby to Chi-Chi and Bulma. The two women had reached out for each other's hands and gripped them tightly since the intensity of the fighting began to grow more and more apparent. This is the moment, from what they saw, would be the life to be taken by one combatant or the other.

"Trunks...Vegeta...please come back to me safely," Bulma whispered quietly, as she fixated her strong gaze towards the shaking stadium floor.

"Gohan...make sure you be safe, please?" Chi-Chi asked as well, knowing it probably wouldn't be heard. But still, she hoped that she would see her son again, alive, victorious, and happy.

* * *

18 was surprised by her enemy's tenacity.

Ever since Zangya had pumped herself with even more power, she had gained an additional boost in raw power, but had significantly slowed down, and even forgone her former dexterous grace. Every swing, every punch, felt more carnal than the last and debased. It lacked the beauty it once had and began to be easier for the cyborg to predict her movements.

Still, the intensity of which she pushed herself unnerved 18, as she fought on with passion that she had rarely had become witnessed to, especially from an enemy. If only the passion had been more admirable, as her constant verbatim of swears and unintelligible growls didn't make her more of an insane berserker than a dignified warrior.

"I will not lose to you!" Zangya punctuated her statement with a hook, blocked by 18's forearm, "Lord Bojack promised me...a place where I am recognized...for my power and status! I will not be forgotten after I annihilate all the weaklings and become a goddess!"

Several more punctuated crackling punches and kicks hurtled towards the stoically glaring blonde, causing Zangya to become even more enraged, as tears burned down her glowing eyes.

"Why are you getting in my way, bitch?!" Zangya asked once more, thrusting her fist towards 18, only for it to be caught by a impassive fist.

"Simple," 18 spoke coldly, as she wrenched the Herasian's wrist to the side, snapping it smoothly before she kicked her in the gut, "you hurt a man who loved me, and I began to fall in love with as well. I kill people who try to kill the people close to me. There's nothing personal I have against you other than you are an utter bitch with a superiority complex I could care less about."

"RAAAAAAAH!" Zangya rushed forth with a burst of energy, knee-kicking 18 in the gut, following up with a punch to her jaw, and finished with a roundhouse kick to her midriff.

Caught once again within 18's grasp, she would find herself flipped over onto her backside, as her knee became dislocated, causing her to scream out in agony, finally forcing her to yield. Her hair lightened to its orange texture, her skin deflated to its normal complexion and texture, replaced with only a sobbing woman in its place with angry eyes cast in her direction.

"I...hate...you," she weakly snarled at the impassively staring cyborg.

Raising her right hand towards the prone enemy, 18 gave only one verbal response that she'd understand, "I know."

With a blinding discharge of a Photon Blast, Zangya's body became incinerated with a single blow, perforated only by an enormous explosion left in the wake of 18's effective execution to her form.

Turning her head, she reached out with her senses, blocking out all the ongoing battles going on around her, to find Krillin. When she did, she flew with as much speed and caution as she could. The sooner he'd get medical attention, and find herself a new change of clothes, the better.

* * *

**CLANG-VWHOOSH!** Trunks found himself face-to-face with his nemesis as he clashed his Brave sword against Kogu's once again. The pressure exerted between the two of them became apparent, as sparks showered the air around them, as their eyes focused upon each other. They didn't see the various scathing gashes and bleeding wounds enamoring their sides, arms, or legs from their vicious clash of steel and force.

Trunks found himself more at odds with a skilled swordsman than he expected him to be. Drawing the battle out like this had been costly, and he knew neither of them could go on much longer without dismemberment being part of the plan.

"HRAH!" Trunks broke the sword block and kicked Kogu back a good distance, rearing back he charged blue currents of electrical harnessed force. Slashing in front of himself, he roared out, "LIGHTNING SWORD SLASH!"

A series of rippling blue fissures of sharp energy tore through the open air at the airborne Kogu. Spreading out wide crossed angles, they were ten meters in reach and a couple with width, making them hard to avoid within the quick succession they were launched from Trunks' hand.

Kogu, had already reared back his own rapier blade, gritting his teeth in concentration as he laced its edges with violet electricity as a counter to Trunks' attacks. Then, he thrust out with a series of discharges, sending out a number of black-violet lances of energy that clashed with the folding forces of energy that projected from the two warriors, "DEVIL SHOCK LANCE!"

They continued this dance, hoping at least one would get through to the other. An orchestra of thunderclaps from the vibrant explosions of blue-violet light that emitted within the dark sky, as they continued to harry each other with as many attacks as they could muster. They had no strategies left, no other form of force to break the other down and whittle them away. One strike from their blades would end it, it was just a matter of who would strike first.

"Tell me this, Super Saiyan! How long can you keep this up?!" Kogu verbally goaded, trying to psych out his enemy as he continued to thrust out his Devil Shock Lances.

Trunks knew he had to finish this in one blow, but he needed an opening. Kogu's monologue just allowed him the opportunity to focus his energy in one swift lunge. So, he played along as he kept slashing forth, "Shut up, bastard!"

"Am I touching a nerve there? How does it feel to watch your father get pummeled by our master? Must sting to know that your strongest warrior was knocked down off his pedestal in a matter of seconds! After this, when you're dead, this whole planet will burn! Won't that be delicious?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Kogu shouted out with malicious satisfaction.

Oh how Kogu drank in the moment of despair his enemy would hold before him. The fact that he would cut through the audience lingering above, and watch them cry out in shock and horror, gave him an anxiousness to finish his battle with the Super Saiyan. Oh how he loved culling the weak. Earth would be no different than the hundreds of planets he helped slaughter...

Upon his bout of nostalgia and his maniacal laughter, Trunks managed to pull up and hurtle himself towards the air above Kogu's attacks, halting just above him as he descended with sword in hand. Concentrating, his right arm began to swell, bulk up with incredible energy and strength, fueling the blade with an orange glow of enormously condensed Ki. Then, he yelled out above his enemy.

"BURNING INFERNO SLASH!" By the time he cried out, Kogu's blade blocked the blade's initial descent. It wasn't until that he realized that Trunks right arm had grown to twice its normal size, pumping and fueled with energy, that he just realized he was outmatched. The blade cut through his Devil Blade like butter, and then slice evenly through him, as the Super Saiyan flew past him along with the path of his blade.

Landing upon the ground below, he twirled his blade around before sheathing it, defining the moment of execution with an audible click.

**CRACK-VOOM!** Within that moment, a skyscraper standing behind Kogu split apart in sync with his body, as his two halves began to catch on fire and burn up as it hurtled towards the earth, joining the blackened debris and ruined landscape.

Wincing, Trunks dropped to one knee, de-powering to conserve energy as he gasped at the wounds that layered his body, causing his blonde locks fell down to his medium length gray hair. Even with all of his training, he still came up nearly defeated, by an unworthy opponent no less. Still, he couldn't help but smile that he wrought justice upon one more evil being. He just hoped the others would be as lucky.

* * *

"So...little...Saiyan...what will you do now?" Bujin's enormously grown vocal chords shook the air like thunder. Unlike any other form that the Herasians have shown to possess, Bujin had used his psychic powers to modify him to become an unstoppable mass of flesh and bone, towering above all. Like the Titans of old mythic lore, he looked down with an evil grin, waiting to crush the tiny Saiyan standing before him.

Yet, Gohan did not yield nor did he tremble. Like a stoic lighthouse in the face of an enormous wave of water, Gohan didn't flinch nor did his glare shift from the Herasian's eyes. Even in the face of adversity of such monumental scope, Gohan didn't feel fear. In retrospect, Bujin didn't even hold a candle to his master, let alone Cell. He knew victory was already assured.

"Give up, Bujin. You can't win this way," Gohan spoke with a stoic voice, magnifying it so that the tall lumbering form his enemy had assumed could hear him, "if you leave now and promise you won't hurt anyone, I'll spare your life. If you don't, I will kill you. This is your only chance."

A brief silence overlapped Bujin as he heard Gohan's words. He felt rage boil within his gut, quickly transforming his gait to be that of an incredulous one. Rearing back his head, he laughed aloud, "Reform?! Surrender?! BUAHAHAHA! You know nothing of me then, Super Saiyan, Son Gohan! I WANT to die! I want to die a glorious death on behest of my lord and master, Bojack!"

Rearing back a colossal fist, Bujin swung it down with all of his might, intending to end the battle with one blow.

**BOOM!** When Bujin connected with Gohan's frame, a shockwave erupted from the epicenter of impact, flattening the earth around them for dozens upon dozens of meters, collapsing all nearby structures. Even as Bujin laughed, feeling a sense of believed victory, he couldn't move his fist back.

"Your strength didn't change a bit by growing to such stature, Bujin," Gohan chided aloud, holding up a single fist to grip firmly the towering one that shadowed his golden-aura enraptured being, thrumming constantly with power and support, "you should have studied your own limits, that way, you would have known using up all your energy for growth would have been futile."

"D-Damn you, Saiy-AAAAAAAN?!" Bujin felt his fist wrenched to the side, before he was pulled violently towards the ground. Having no time to brace against the incoming impact to the ground, Gohan readied his right fist back, coating it with electrical currents and energy, before thrusting it at the incoming head.

A thunderous crack echoed the atmosphere of the mock city battlefield, as Bujin's neck snapped up with such force, that his neck was broken before his body had fallen upon his backside. When his monstrous form struck the rest of the metropolitan landscape, an intense wind rippled through, flourishing Gohan's stoic blonde bangs and his orange gi.

Gohan sighed, as he reached out with his senses to check up on the other battlefields, to see if he was needed elsewhere. It didn't take long, as his eyes darted out momentarily to see the giant form of Piccolo, roaring out as he fired an explosive beam at his position. The following explosion wiped out the center of the city, and also sent his master's form reeling back, even as he shrank.

"Piccolo!" He cried out with sudden fear for his friend and mentor's safety. With a brief roar of excess Ki, Gohan rocketed up into the air, bursting towards the battlefield his comrade had been battling. He only hoped he wouldn't be too late.

* * *

"Come out, come out, come out, wherever you are?!" Bido jeered with a menacing tone. Though he was bleeding, bruised, burned, and scarred, he still felt his power thrum with every heartbeat he possessed. Having taken the fight to the two humans, he realized with sadistic joy that they had used up most of their energy combating him earlier.

Though he had sustained a lot of external damage, none of his energy had been reduced more than half, still plenty to give his enemies the lethal inevitable end they deserved. He knew it was a good thing to use an explosive wave just before he hit the ground, to dampen the explosion that would follow his descent.

Now, they were hiding, having already struck the bald one and briefly sparred with the black haired one for a minute, before he got past his guard and sent him reeling. A piercing Dodon Ray caught him in the heel, causing him to double over, and allow them to scamper off to safety.

Now, pissed more than ever, he began looking around for his prey, while occasionally discharging a blast of emerald energy to demolish another structure, one after the other.

Tien peered his head around the corner, hearing the distant Bido get closer and closer. He and Yamcha currently took refuge in one of the half collapsed buildings, the shadows giving them good camouflage from a distance, but he knew it wouldn't be long before they're forced out of their place of refuge.

"Well, it doesn't seem like we're going to last much longer. Hopefully Trunks or Gohan will fair better than us and give us a helping hand, eh?" Tien mused aloud, looking over at the surprisingly quiet Yamcha. But what Tien saw, was him far from giving up.

Yamcha had gotten on one knee, and seem to have been holding his stance for a good two minutes, as he clasped his left hand over his right upraised hand. What Tien saw was astounding, as what appeared to be crackling white light coalescing around his body, and swirling around the surface of his hand, before transforming into a blue-white sphere of energy. Sweat poured down Yamcha's brow, as he added the finish touches to his greatest weapon, seemingly harnessed within only a few minutes time.

"W-When did you master that?" Tien asked with widened eyes of surprise, as well of relief to see they had a chance.

"When you guys were busy training to reach higher multipliers of the Kaio-ken, I was studying on controlling it. At the same time, I found out that it became natural for me to gather the planet's energy and fuse it into the palm of my hand. Condensing the energy seems to take less time than merely expanding it," Yamcha spoke with a smile as he explained. Looking down as the glowing sphere that crackled and hummed softly, he bowed his head, as he spoke softly, "I know this may be asking a lot...Tien...but can you just get that guy's attention enough so you can use the Solar Flare?"

"I can do that," Tien nodded with a smile, before steeling himself.

"Just keep him distracted for like fifteen seconds, and I should be able to line this bad boy up to fire, okay?" Yamcha spoke with seriousness, but still held his cocky grin as he stood up onto his feet.

"You got it!" Tien gave him a thumb's up, before he walked out as quickly as he could. Seeing Bido in the distance with his back turned, the three-eyed man smiled deviously. Charging up a normal Ki blast in his right hand, he threw it at his backside, before jumping up into the air and gunning it as fast as he could.

"What the-?!" Bido, having obviously felt the blast hit his bare back, winced as he turned to see the bald man take off into the air. Growling, he flexed his fists before pointing out all ten of his fingers towards the airborne warrior, lighting the tips with crimson energy. When he had a good read, he shouted aloud, "Brave Gatling!"

Ten beams fired from his fingers like gunshots, homing in on the target, and aiming to strike him from the sky. As Tien preformed a few dazzling flips strafing maneuvers, the pain in his muscles came back, allowing two of them to penetrate his left arm and skin his right knee. With a mighty fall, he crash landed into a pile of rubble, made from the ground zero of the Super Spirit Ball's explosion.

Bido was upon him within a moment, slamming his foot into Tien's back, ushering a scream of pain from the ruthless blow. Repeatedly grinding and slamming his foot into Tien, Bido smiled viciously as he grabbed a hold of the back of his head, to turn the broken man to face him.

"You gave me a lot of misery and pain, worthless garbage. I'm going to repay you for everything you've done, hahaha!" Bido laughed darkly, as he began to crush Tien's head from behind.

Tien however had two moves to make before he felt he was done. With as much as he could muster, he reared back his left leg and swung it towards Bido's crotch area as hard as he could.

The affect was surprisingly more than substantial.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE!" Bido's eyes bugged out and his voice comically screeched aloud in pain, forcing him to use his spare hand to cover his wounded man package. Vegeta's earlier strike still hadn't recovered, and the kick just now, reawakened those painful sensations once more.

Then Tien raised his hands up to either side, as he cried out, "SOLAR FLARE!"

"AAAAAAARGH!" Bido's eyes became blinded as well, forcing him to throw Tien aside as he nursed his seared eyes and his swollen groin. Kneeling over in writhing pain, he was now completely open for an attack.

"TAKE THIS!" A distant voice cried out, as Yamcha soared into the air with the baseball sized orb of blue-white energy in hand. Thrusting his palm, he discharged it towards his enemy within his scope, "RAPID SPIRIT BOMB!"

Bido didn't have time to turn to face the attack, or figure out where it came from. By the time he felt the heat upon his backside, it was all over. With a tormented and enraged scream as his body was slammed into the ground before becoming enveloped in a cocoon of searing electric light. Within a matter of seconds, the spirit bomb detonated in a vibrant display of crackling energy that poured up and out within a power explosion.

Yamcha barely had time to pull Tien's limp body out of the way of the blast, before the shockwave sent them tumbling head over heels. Crash landing into a mostly demolished building, being half buried by rubble and dirty. They went limp and accepted their incapacitated states, as their bodies heaved from the effort they went through into defeating their enemy.

"We did it," Yamcha said with a happy, exhausted grin on his face, as he rolled onto his back, as Tien did likewise, "I can't believe...we won..."

"See? Just...keep training...and...we'll...eventually...surpass...an yone...heh," Tien spoke with a half smile of his own, wincing from the last of his spent energy having left his body.

"Yeah...if only we had Krillin here, this would be a full celebration," Yamcha closed his eyes in thought as he leaned his head against a large piece of debris.

"Yeah, where is that guy?" Tien asked, trying to see if he could reach out with his senses, "the guy must be far away or I really am out of energy...or _you know who_ swept him off his feet and out of the Tournament grounds?"

"Lucky bastard is probably being carried off by the dame right now," Yamcha pouted his lips, frowning at the thought.

"Hey, you might get lucky. Who knows? After this Tournament ends, you might get yourself a girl who can appreciate you, huh?" Tien spoke enthusiastically, tried to encourage his friend.

"That's as likely as you getting back together with Launch," Yamcha quipped.

Tien quieted down, huffing as he remembered his bipolar girlfriend, and how his death at the hands of Nappa affected their relationship. He tried contacting her, he did, but she never returned his calls nor even paid attention to him. He never once tried during the brief amount of time before the Cell Games started, nor these past six months.

"Hey, I'm sorry man," Yamcha apologized, when he heard Tien's solemn silence take hold of the air.

"Don't be, its probably for the best," Tien sighed, closing his eyes and allowing rest to take over him.

Even in the wake of distant explosions, he found a certain measure of peace, that they did their part in helping out.

* * *

Everything burned.

Piccolo felt like everything on his body was on fire. As his eyes opened, he concentrated his energy on regenerating all of the tissue that had been ripped and burned up by the explosion he and 17 produced. He looked around through the thick black haze the smoke created, as a defining ring of fire enveloped the outer crevices of a large hole from which the blast burrowed Bojack into.

The fact he didn't get attacked so soon after the blast, felt good to the Namekian. It meant he had actually done some real damage, and maybe given the Herasian leader a moment of pause to reconsider his tactics.

When he felt his skin fully healed, he looked down to see his entire gi that wrapped over his torso had been burned to ash and his lower legs were shredded to near disrepair. Despite the lack of worthy attire, he felt confident in himself to check on 17's status as well.

Leaping over the large chasm, Piccolo landed over to where 17 was. He saw that the teenage cyborg was hurt, but not too badly. Flickering energy crackled around his body, showing telltale signs of a barrier being enveloped not but a few seconds after being hit by the blast. Still, his arms were burned and his entire jacket and shirt was burned to mere tatters of its former sleekness.

"You owe me...Piccolo," 17 coughed up, as he winced at the pain writhing up and down his arms, sitting up to face him, "this is...a...$300 jacket, and the rest wasn't cheap...either!"

"You can worry about your sense of fashion, after I confirmed our enemy's condition-" Piccolo began to speak, before being interrupted by a ghastly sensation.

**VOOM!** Turning around his head to look over his shoulder, he gaped as he saw Bojack rise from the smoldering crater, covered in a bright emerald-white aura, surrounding his now bulkier green chest. With bright red hair and a renewed malicious grin plastered on his face, the menace of men and the bane of gods had surfaced to show them their true despair.

"What the hell? He should be dead from that last blast, not powering up!" 17 uttered aloud in annoyance and alarm.

"_This_ is the power I used to frighten the gods and overpower their best forms of containment. They trembled before my might, relying on their master to do battle with me as they cowardly fled to their planets to seal me away. Unfortunately for you, with no Kai and no fourth planet to create the Nexus Prism, you are as good as dead," Bojack flexed his muscles as his blazing aura crackled with telltale signs of ebony bio-electricity, thrumming the air with his power.

"This is bad..." Piccolo sweated nervously in the face of the demigod standing in front of him, "if only...only there was another way..."

"**_RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!_**" Their form of salvation, however, would come in the form of a ear-piercing cry, bring bout of familiarity and nostalgia to the Namekian master. As he looked over, he could see Gohan, hovering a mere dozen meters away, unleashing his full power to the surface and not holding a single iota back. His aura engulfed the air and land in flames, his hair stood vertically straight, coursing with thrums of bio-electricity as the rest of his skin did. Then,

When that power stabilized, the Super Saiyan 2 made itself known. Gohan to fixate a vicious snarl towards Bojack, before he pointed small hand towards the much larger Herasian, "Leave them alone, bastard! You're fight is with ME now!"

Bojack had joined his two would-be victims in utter silence.

His black, cold eyes dilated at the sight of the burning, bright aura that the young half-Saiyan created. He found himself confused, having believed only Vegeta to be capable of such power. Was he confusing two signatures for being only one? This changes things...but not by too much. Allowing himself to elicit a smile, he realized the boy's power may be high, but he was confident in his own strength to overcome it. This boy was far from being the god-king, let alone his master. How much trouble could he be?

"Very well, boy," Bojack turned away from Piccolo, raising himself to the air, hovering a good distance from the ground as he approached his opponent. His staunch, green being easily being four times in mass in every way to the young Super Saiyan. His body itself glowed, underneath a fire of violet-white energy that burned from his own pores, as vividly as the red pigmented hair that coiled with black bio-electricity. His smile was menacing and his gait imposing, threatening, everything a real bully would be.

Contrary to this being of evil, Gohan held nothing but a passively calm, determined stance. Glistening with incredible power that boiled to the surface of his body in a display of golden energy, flourished with much higher intensity with a series of crackling blue tendrils of bio-electricity. It looked as if he embodied the personification of rage and righteousness, as he glared evenly and without trembling at the being of evil in front of him.

The two glared, clenched their fists, expanded their auras and finally pulled back their fists to strike each other at the same time...

* * *

**A/N**: End Part II

_As explained in the last chapter, THIS is Chapter 8, but Part 2 of 3 sections dividing up the enormous former Chapter 7. This is to better emphasize the story without exhausting the reader, as I took the time to read it several times, and I recognized its length to be pretty dramatic. While keeping true to a movie format, this chapter is split up, for those who rather read in a comfortable, and reasonable episodic manner. _

_Please leave reviews and comments, new readers, for those of you who wish to express your thoughts and comments of what you thought of the following chapter. _


	9. Crossing the Line! Part III

**THE VEGETA CHRONICLES**

* * *

**Chapter 9 - Crossing the Line Part III**

* * *

**A few minutes ago...**

It was chaos in the Cash's Rich Box. Now pulling up commands from a pull out command console, him and his assistant had been trying to reroute and manually control the feeds of the automated cameras. With all the devastation being brought onto screen, they made sure to quickly wink some that had a bit more detail than others, trying to keep the inevitable deaths of these fighters away from public eye. He already had a ton of legality issues with this as it was, he wished to make it a little less painful.

He did try and keep some good shots of astounding feats. For example, the explosions after they hit target were amazing to record on film, as well as the one of the tiny man growing to the size of a colossus before being struck down by the small fighter. Other fights were purposely avoided, much like the two sword-toting fighters. All of this was being rapidly and successively changed behind the scenes, making it appear as some cameras were "dead" before others were stationed to take certain shots and angles of others.

Then, the display of one of the remaining extraterrestrial warriors came up, his aura making all of the cameras within the battlefield sizzle and distort for a second, due to the electromagnetic interference from his sheer power output. Then, the boy himself came into view, letting out a fierce cry of spirit, causing all cameras to momentarily be cut off before turning back on.

"W-What are they?! What is going on?!" The assistant asked nervously.

"Its just like my wife said," Mister Cash leaned against the expanded control table, bowing his head with utter shock as sweat beaded down his face, "its the Cell Games all over again..."

* * *

After the rumblings had subsided from several of the spectacularly captivated explosions, the arena grew strangely quiet. An ominous roll of thunderclouds began to move over the stadium, unbeknownst to the crowd, had begun to form from the intense energies radiating below their feet, deep within the chasm of the bulk of the island's interior. It provided the only sounds of crackles and lightning and an impending storm, despite the forecast being clear and sunny all day.

But beyond the elements, the eerily quiet that held the audience captive from beneath them grew on.

Not due to the animated conversations from the fans, which hadn't nearly subsided, nor the roaring of the nearby waves. The fights seem to end, and without announcement. The fighters had yet reach the stadium floor, so the battles felt as if they were a big delay for the upcoming finale. So why did everything feel so still and calm?

Then, Chi-Chi and Bulma's eyes drew to the screens, now showing the real reason for the pause of action below them. Gohan ignited a passionate and anger-filled scream, as he powered up to his legendary Super Saiyan 2 state, his body's aura now as bright, if not brighter than Bojack's. Calling him out, he challenged him openly to settle things once and for all.

"Gohan," Chi-Chi could scarcely believe her eyes. This was the first time she ever saw him have a look of such daunting courage and anger. He hardly looked the same, and yet, he looked so familiar. The power coursing through him, and the eyes of fierce determination, mirrored the child that Chi-Chi admired and fell in love with that was her later husband. A tear snaked down her eyes, as a smile of pride welled up upon her face, "you'd make your father proud..."

* * *

"Gohan?!" Videl's eyes bulged as she leaned as close as she was able from her viewing box within the now vacant contender box. She could scarcely believe it. Besides taking down a collosal gargantuan sized monster with barely any effort, as his friends had done, he was now taking on a man who withstood the imposing and powerful green-skinned teacher of his. He looked calm, passively enraged, but controlled.

Looking at the evil man before him, with rippling muscles and dark power fluctuating his skin, grinning evilly she could feel her blood grow cold, even from the distance she was from the arena. Just seeing the screen sent chills down her spine.

But when the camera panned over to Gohan, she couldn't help but feel her heart skip a few beats. A flush of foreign crimson rushed to her cheeks, and a look of dumbfounded awe crossed her face. Seeing him, with the passion that projected both visibly from the bright, crackling golden-blue aura and emotionally through the gaze of righteous rage from his now emerald eyes.

"_You're probably the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life,_" She thought with a growing smile, as she saw him rear his fist back and throw it at his opponent's much larger one...

* * *

"Ugh," Hercule, finally recovering from his fall down the stairs of Battle Island I, began to climb back up. Having been stirred awake by the vibrations that the speakers and shockwaves that Battle Island II was having transpiring as of recently. He knew this was getting dangerous, and if things were heating up like he heard it was, it could only mean one thing: Another Cell Games was at hand!

"I'm not going to have my daughter get caught up in this crazy crossfire!" Hercule grumbled as he limped up the stairs, using the handrail for support, as he finally reached reached the contender box. Walking up to the door, he prepared to open it and convince his only child to come with him at once. After all, it was his duty to keep his child safe, right?

Mr. Satan reached halfway to open the door, and grab his daughter, to get to safety...but...

* * *

**Now...**

Gohan and Bojack's fists struck at once, and immediately unfolded a titanic burst of force. Lightning streams from the point of contact, kicking up slabs of earth in the dozens of meters, igniting the air with intensity, and slamming into the ground within a mile radius. This ushered in creating a powerful shockwave at its epicenter that unfolded with the sheer yield of a bomb going off.

It was fortunate enough for Piccolo that he raised his arms up to shield himself from the blast, his heels digging in and shoving him back with incredible force. He had never been able to witness this, even during the battle against Cell. How much stronger was this Bojack?!

Trunks turned towards the direction with widened eyes, as he felt the full force strike him, even from the distance he was from ground zero, "Gohan?!"

"Whoa!" Yamcha called out with shock and wonder, as he comically flew with Tien, head over heels from their comfortable pile of rubble, to painfully land elsewhere, "where's the fire man?! Geeze, these Super Saiyans and their battles always seem to dwarf ours..."

"Stop being jealous and be quiet," Tien coughed out towards his friend as he punched his fists into the earth, hoping to anchor him from future collisions.

18 had already began to fly through one of the tunnels that she navigated her way through to begin with, holding Krillin's prone form in her arms. The shockwave and the clashing energies unnerved her, causing her to fly that much faster to the surface.

Up above, that first punch would be a wake-up call to the sheer scale of the battle happening below...

* * *

**BOOM!** Chi-Chi's eyes widened, as she felt the entire stadium thrum with such force, she briefly felt herself lift off the edge of her seat, before falling back down. Did Gohan strike that Bojack's fist that hard?

"My gosh!" Bulma spoke aloud in alarm, even as Kid Trunks giggled with enjoyment, feeling the shockwave as if it was a game of sorts, eagerly bouncing on his mother's lap to have it happen again, "and here I thought they wouldn't start off strong right away!"

"Yeah," Chi-Chi nodded, her eyes widened comically as she stared aghast at the wide-screened image of her son exchanging the blow, following up with another. Each time their fists and feet struck, the shockwaves were potent enough to shake the entirety of Battle Island II. Dozens of people fell over and were aghast, shocked, and quite surprised by the force the blows the two combatants exchanged. Was it real? Was this really happening? The battle, if anything, was nothing like any of the others before it.

Even the shaking Island's tremors began forcing the waves to rise and fall unnaturally higher beyond the lone dock, and rock the stationary Battle Island I.

* * *

**THRUM!** "What the Devil?!" Mr. Cash's eyes bulged up, shaking him out of his reverie, as he stared at the screen and then at the reinforced rich box he designed for him and his family, "what kind of powers are we witnessing?! What have I unleashed?!"

"This almost feel like a battle between gods rather than between two martial artist, Mister Cash," the assistant spoke with shaken awe, gulping audibly to quench his fear-driven dry throat.

"Please let this nightmare be over!" Mrs. Cash spoke with genuine fear and dread, as she held her trembling child in her arms and lap, his head burying into his mother's bosom to escape the frightening noises and explosions occurring not too far from them.

* * *

**VOOM!** "Whoa!" Videl's eyes widened, as her body stumbled around, struggling to maintain balance from the number of tremors issued from the base of the Battle Island II that rocked Battle Island I within their docked position to it.

"G-G-Go Go-o-han, whoooooa!" Videl tried to cheer, but still felt herself wobbling side to side, trying her best to not fall on her buttocks and watch the screen keeping close detail of the battle unfolding before her.

To her father's chagrin, she heard a faint yell of terror emanate from behind the sound proof door, as the rocking of the man-made Island forced him to lose his footing and fall...

* * *

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-OW-OW-EH-AH-OOF-OH-OW-OW-OW-OW!" Hercule screamed out in comical terror, before his face struck the stairwell, and literally proceeded to fall head over heels down the curved, spiral staircase of the main turret's staircase, all the way to the bottom. By the time he fell to the ground, his head struck the ground hard enough to knock him out cold, and slide onto his backside with a goofy grin of daze and stupor on his face.

* * *

Back within the dark city's artificial sky, lightning cracked and thundered, as the two warriors struck each other like two missiles. Repeatedly slamming into each other, the two flashing auras would emanate brilliantly projected auras, before breaking away, forming a shockwave that would rock the island to its core, blow back all structures, and sending gusts of wind that would occasionally brush up against his stationary comrades, watching his progress in awe.

After nearly three dozen clashes of sheer power, Bojack rushed in to swipe at Gohan's flank, propelling himself forward with a momentum that few could hope to halt. As Gohan momentarily tapped Bojack's forearm to vault over it, the Herasian's arm's gait sent disruption within the fabric of space, curling it around, and crushing all structures.

Using the physical prop of his own outstretched arm, Gohan maneuvered his lithe and smaller feet back, before double-kicking Bojack in the jaw. The crack his aura-enraptured feet would make upon his own strengthened jaw would cause a flash of golden overpower the violet-white energy, and send the warrior spinning back across the air a good thirty meters.

Zooming after him, Gohan quickly overtook the airborne Bojack to reach his left flank, elbowing his exposed side with a deafening crack that shook the island and produced a golden-lit flash of lightning to explode from his skin. It momentarily stunned Bojack, but he was steeled for it, swiftly swinging his massive arm out with a back-handed hammer fist to hit the back of Gohan's head.

The pop of the air was palpable, expanding like a balloon of violent electric-bursting air pressure, and shuddering the whole city's ruined landscape, as Gohan descended down with a thunderous crash.

Within a moment, Gohan rebound from the strike, spearheading up in a golden streak that would barrel into Bojack's gut with both outstretched fists. Bojack gasped aloud at the impact, breaching his tightened abdominal muscles and sending him reeling back. Swinging a meaty fist down to retaliate, Gohan bent his body dexterously to the side, grasping the wrist tightly in a vice grapple.

Gohan then charged up a vibrantly crackling fist of Ki, striking it hard into Bojack's gut, driving it with such force that his back rebounded with the intensity of his blows.

The green giant winced and bulged his eyes in response from each painful punch, perforating the atmosphere with vibrant flashes of light and ripples of thunderous quaking force. Using his only free hand, he swung it towards the Super Saiyan, hoping to use his remaining limb to strike him away from his body.

The fist was caught deftly, as the retracted smaller hand swung around gracefully to grasp the knuckles with equal force sent his way, causing a pop the flourish his wild, crackling hair as he glared upon his enemy.

With a bit of leverage, he pulled the two arms down hard enough to boost himself up above the muscular Herasian, striking his right knee into his chin with crackling force that sent fraying lightning bolts to strike the city at all directions. With his target stunned, he let go of the arms, and twisted his body to the right, striking his foot into the massive temple of the green skinned alien, causing him to roll over within the sky awkwardly.

As his brain thrummed with pain and dizziness, Bojack couldn't help but to feel doubt and fear creep within the recess of his mind. Was the Grand Kai playing with him all along? Was he capable of such power and was merely toying with him as he clashed with him at the heart of the Universe? How was a mere boy taking every hit he threw at him and returning it back with just as much force?

When the marauder's vision cleared, he saw Gohan already zooming at his righted position within the sky. His aura painted a long streak of golden energy in his wake, that cracked with blue bio-electrical charges as he forced himself to pursue his opponent.

Swinging his arms out to clap the boy with his hands as he came within reach, hoping to crush him in mid-flight, but would find him slapping empty air. As the air buckled with an enormous fissure of electrified air pressure that would strike the far wall of the city, Gohan bent his head in sync with his upper body, to slide between the Herasian's legs. Flipping to be perfectly vertical and upside down, Gohan swung his arms gracefully to be splayed out and framing his forehead.

As Bojack would turn around to swing his fist towards Gohan's airborne and stationary form, he didn't expect what would flow from the boy's hands.

"**SUPER MASENKO**!" Gohan cried with a guttural roar, discharging a golden stream of energy that dwarfed the giant berserker, and put any prior said technique used by Piccolo to shame.

Swallowed up within the maw of searing energy, Bojack felt himself flung across the ceiling of the sky, trailing a blaze of fire and electricity in his wake, before his body felt himself halt within an immense golden-white explosion of raw explosive yield. The force from the unfolding orange-yellow flames of the detonation rocked the integrity of Battle Island II's structure, visibly shaking it with as much intensity as an earthquake tremor.

But this didn't halt Bojack for long.

"_**GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!**_" as his roar of outrage billowed away the smoke and shook the city in a mighty projected Kiai, issued from his expanded lungs. Setting his black, boiling eyes to set upon the distant golden-hued image of his newfound nemesis, he bared his teeth with raw hatred.

He wanted to kill this kid, **bad**.

Stretching each hand to his sides, he gathered a large collection of energy, piling layers upon layers of condensed Ki, keeping his senses attuned to Gohan's movement. To his satisfaction, the boy arrogantly stood in place, awaiting the release of his enemy's attack towards his destination. Little did the prodigious Super Saiyan would find out, that not all would go the way he would believe it will.

"Take this, chump!" Bojack laughed aloud, smiling past the searing scars of burnt flesh perforating his body, as he clasped his wrists together, and fused the two orbs of emerald-white energy together into one massive sphere, as large as his body, discharging it forward at his target, "**Galactic** **Buster!**"

**VLAAAAAAM!** Screaming out with intense force, it rippled and distorted space around it, with a volatile nature that Gohan immediately sensed with alarm.

If he allowed it to explode anywhere in the arena, the whole Island would detonate and possibly wipe out the coastal city beyond the docks.

Glaring heatedly, Gohan charged his aura, higher than anyone would believe to be possible and settled himself with his hands outstretched. As the ball of explosive energy struck his palms, Gohan palmed it, and forced his aura to electrify, his scream became nigh deafening, as he forced his own energy around it and enrapturing it. Within a matter of seconds, not without strain, Gohan began to push the orb in on itself, crushing it to the size of a pinball, dispersing the energy entirely.

Letting out a sigh of relief, he suddenly realized the position he was in.

"HRAH!" Bojack was upon him, slamming his knee into the boy's stomach with a powerful exertion of force, shaking the isle anew, followed up with a double-overhead hammer fist to his skull, sending him spiraling into the ground with a fantastic crash. Leaving most of the city to ripple like a wave of water-like debris, Bojack disrupted that flow when he bowled down and slammed his fist into the boy's crouched form.

Grasping the boy by the hair, he held him up before himself, with a diabolical grin on his face, chuckling to himself with pride for his cunning. Rearing back his fist, he proceeded to strike the inert and unresponsive boy, with every fist dwarfing his chest, and hitting him square in the face and body, cracking the earth, indenting it, and sending writhing black tendrils of projected energy to flow endlessly across the horizon.

After nearly a solid minute of blows, Bojack huffed and puffed, satisfied with the amount of punishment, seeing gashes and cuts displayed over the boy's fair skinned body, as well as tattered his orange-blue gi.

"Have anything to say to me now, boy?" Bojack taunted as he laughed darkly.

What he didn't expect, was an immediate reply, that dryly escaped Gohan's throat.

"Ow," With that single response, Gohan's eyes opened and looked undeterred directly up at Bojack, "that hurt..."

**CRACK!** Grappling Bojack's outstretched wrist, Gohan swung his knees up to preform a double knee kick towards the relaxed elbow.

The result was brutal.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" Bojack let out an ungodly howl of pain, as the flash of blue-white light that coated the half-Saiyan's kneecaps cracked and broke his arm with enough force to snap his arm down, and have his bones penetrate his flesh, sending a geyser of blood up into the air that quickly dissolved in the wake of such powerful exuding energies.

Letting go of Gohan, he backed away while holding onto his arm with a look of despair and rage, cast in Gohan's direction. Within an act of desperation, he swung out his free hand, casting dozens of psycho threads to tie around Gohan's body, barely grazing the boy's skin due to his aura.

"HA! I GOT YOU NOW!" Bojack laughed aloud, his mind on the verge of snapping from the unforgiving pain his bleeding arm gave him.

"Yeah, you sure got me," Gohan spoke dryly in retort, his eyes unyielding and impassive to Bojack's determination.

"I'm going to sap you of your strength, just like I did to Vegeta!" Bojack growled with anxious bloodlust, wishing the boy would just buckle and die in front of him already.

Gohan, inhaling deeply, closed his eyes. Then, he let out a literally earth-shattering Kiai from his mouth, raising it face Bojack, sending disruptive force of bio-electricity and air pressure to snap the chords holding him, and blast the ground around him within a omni-directional fissure of steaming force, in a wake of blue lightning and golden flames.

Bojack felt his ears ring, as he felt his body wreak on fire from the force of the sonic waves striking his skin and rattling his organs. Dropping to his left knee, Bojack heaved and gasped heavily. His body was covered with burns, scratches, and bruises, with his right arm badly broken.

"Is that it? Is that all you got?" Gohan spoke in a quiet whisper, contrary to the rolling and crackling aura thrumming around his body.

Bojack used one last ability in his arsenal, if not out of desperation, then out of yearning to know what the boy was planning: Telepathy.

He heard the thousands of voices flowing above him, the thoughts of finality of Gohan's plans for retribution, but also, two coalescingly similar voices drifted to his consciousness. A woman, sitting to another, held the power signature of a Saiyan within her belly, not too far above within the stadium, with another child being a hybrid to a Saiyan-blood.

With a bleeding, demented grin, Bojack decided to compromise.

"Not...QUITE!" Slamming his fist into the ground, he created a powerful fissure of blinding of violet light to emanate from the earth, in answer to Gohan's question. It was bright enough to flash all of the cameras, and blind even the passive observers, and even incapacitate Super Sayan standing in front of him.

This was his chance!

**VOOM!** With a powerful burst of energy from around his body, he roared up as he outstretched his arm towards the ceiling of the artificially scarred sky, crashing through it head first...

* * *

Videl gasped, as she saw the distant explosion of flames erupt from the stadium. She realized the monster was out, free to attack anyone he wished, and out of reach, if even for the moment, from Gohan. What could she do?

Then, she recalled something. She really thought hard about what an ordinary martial artist like herself could do in scope in comparison to these super powers. But what really rattled her, was her conviction of what would Gohan do?

With her mind made up after her legs started running, she rushed towards the door, and opened it, rushing towards the ramp that would lead to the stadium, even as she heard the distant thunder. Whatever she would do, she would do it without pause and without question. Her time was to be fearless, not to cower. She would show him what she was capable of.

"Hold on, Gohan!" She spoke to herself as she rushed down the dark corridor at top speeds that her teenage body would allow, "hold on!"

* * *

Chi-Chi gaped in horror in sync with Bulma.

In fact, all of the crowd that was nearest to the stadium's edge that weren't flung from their seats found themselves screaming, panicking, and rushing towards the exits. This battle had grown out of control, and they knew this wasn't mere sport or entertainment. This was slaughter and mayhem in the making, and they wished not to be a part of it.

To the widowed woman's chagrin, the alien seemed to fixate a crazed grin in her direction. Within a movement she couldn't fathom, he approached her, his battered, bleeding form standing imposing in front of the two fragile women, the child, and the unborn one within the womb of the human female.

"You are the mother of Son Gohan," Bojack spoke in a disturbingly knowing tone.

Chi-Chi felt her blood grow cold, as his aura projected a disturbingly nightmarish aura. It felt as if she was staring into the eyes of a demon. Hungry for blood, and delighted at seeing her fear. She had no words to speak, and felt her skin clam up. Where was her fiery spirit when she needed it?

Much to her thankfulness and chagrin, Bulma was no so easily intimidated.

"HEY! YOU!" Bulma pointed at Bojack, even as the crowd screamed and scampered as fast as they could away from the demon that appeared before them, not wanting to be victims to his wrath, "YOU GOT A LOT OF NERVE RUINING THIS TOURNAMENT! I PAID GOOD MONEY TO WATCH MY TRUNKS WIN THIS! YOU BETTER APOLOGIZE RIGHT NOW OR-"

"I don't have time for you," Bojack rolled his eyes, twitching his broken arm's finger, sending a burst of Kiai to send her and her child flinging up into the air and towards the ground below.

"BULMA! TRUNKS!" Chi-Chi shouted out, in horror, as she saw the incredulously horrified woman and her child fly down head first to the Tournament ground. At the velocity she was flung, as a normal human, she could get physically traumatized from the impact alone.

"Hooooooooooooooooowaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Though, salvation came in the form of a mad dashing girl in pigtails, white gi, and a black belt, as her bare feet rushed across the grassy field towards the airborne. Leaping up, into the air, she caught the falling mother with both arms, bracing her back for the pull of gravity, and striking the earth with a defining thud, skidding across the earth.

Bulma blinked, her eyes wide and filled with surprise. She only felt mildly dazed, and felt an unfamiliar small body pinned underneath her, muffling with relief that she was safe.

"Rv yove ove wight?" Videl asked from underneath Bulma's upper back, trying to wrench herself from the ditch their bodies carved in the field.

"Yes...oh...yes I am," Bulma sighed with relief, momentarily distracted by Kid Trunks happy giggles, ecstatic from the sudden flight he experienced.

"Agan-Agan!" He urged his mother, bouncing up an down in her arms.

"No, Trunks, none of that," Bulma sighed, as she turned to smile in thanks to the brave young girl.

"Thank you, miss...?"

"Videl," Videl answered, reaching her weary hand out to Bulma, "pleasure to meet you-"

Any social call the two females would have would be broken by the ear-piercing scream from Chi-Chi.

The widowed woman of Goku's struggled within the grasp of Bojack's good arm, as he smiled with blood dripping down his jawline, making him appear all the more devilish in nature. He chuckled as he wrapped his whole hand around her upper chest and neck area, intending on crushing her within an instant.

"Say hello to your husband for me, will you?" Bojack chuckled as charged up a Ki blast between his palm and Chi-Chi's body.

Even as Gohan, Trunks, and Piccolo's bodies streaked out with immense force, heading straight towards Bojack, they saw it was too late.

"MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!" Gohan's eyes widened, his pupils dilated with horror, as he desperately rushed to strike Bojack before his mother would get killed. He needed to move faster. He needed...

Time seemed to slow down to a halt.

A sizzling shimmer of golden light seemed to erupt from Bojack's flank, rocketing forward with the figure of a golden-aura cast warrior. Light seemed to erupt from the fist of this unknown warrior, smashing into Bojack's jaw with the same force...no...even higher than Gohan's attacks from before. The energy seemed to have a carnal animosity to it, roaring out, howling, and bowling into Bojack's entire being with immense force.

Only Gohan was able to see the golden halo emerging within the iconic being of justice, as he took full form, with an aura of an unstable Super Saiyan 2, as he flung Bojack from the choke hold he had on the helpless woman, before grasping her with a free arm.

His voice, made it all clear to him, and everyone present.

"_**DON'T LAY A HAND ON MY FAMILY, BOJACK!**_" Goku roared out, a look righteous anger and pure guttural emotion enveloped his being, as hurtled his enemy, far into the horizon with his Warp Punch.

Son Goku had come to save his family.

* * *

**A/N**: End Part III

_Thus ends the formerly enormous Chapter 7, now Part III Chapter 9. _

_I hope you all liked how this chapter turned out and how events will unfold from this point. I really tried my best to give a satisfying conclusion to the battles that has transpired, as well as a good cliffhanger for those of you keen on finding out what happens next. _

_Please post your comments and reviews of what you thought, new readers, for those of you reading this as a 9th Chapter instead of the original behemoth 7th one. _

_Until then, I'll post a collaborative chapter detailing about what happened in_ _Other World simultaneously in the_ Other World Saga _story I'm writing._

_In the meantime, I hope I'll see you all next week for the conclusion of the Bojack Tournament Arc and the aftermath that will unfold in its wake._


	10. Dark Exodus

**THE VEGETA CHRONICLES **

* * *

**Chapter 10 - Dark Exodus  
**

* * *

**KRAK-KOOM!** The sound of a golden flash of thunderous force shook the surface of the entire island, as Goku's fist struck Bojack's jaw. The force alone sent him pinwheeling like a missile, thrown back with the breaking expansion of concussive air pressure, slamming through the farthest wall of the stadium's seating and blasting it away as he continued to spiral out of control. It wasn't until a distant blast of earth and wind that was heard, that everyone knew he struck the inactive volcano in the distance, collapsing it on top of his now unconscious form.

When all had quieted, Goku felt all eyes drawn to him, as he retracted his fist.

With his right arm draped around his wife's midsection, whom was now blinking owlishly at him, all the approaching heroes had stopped dead in their tracks. Due to the actual event of someone dead coming back to life, especially beyond the power of the Dragon Balls, was beyond their comprehension.

Gohan's mouth went dry, and his eyes widened, as he hovered in place just bare meters away from where his mother had been in mortal danger, not but a few seconds ago. His father, in the flesh, had returned to save his mother and had incapacitated Bojack in a single punch!

Piccolo's eyes went wide and nearly whited out with shock. Goku just punched Bojack with more force than Gohan had displayed below. Whether the boy had been holding back or not, it was clear that Goku had awakened a new wellspring of energy within him, and had ascended to the next level. The one only Vegeta and Gohan had the capability to attain, up until now.

Trunks' heartbeat skipped a few steps when he witnessed the sudden dispatching of Bojack, a being they almost believed to be invincible, sent hurtling across the stadium and into the far horizon. How Goku kept impressing and amazing him always left him without words to express his disbelief.

Before Goku could say anything to the speechless trio of friends and family surrounding him, his wife had a few choice words to give to him.

"G-G-Goku...I...I," Chi-Chi clenched at his collar, as she turned to fully face her deceased husband.

"Yeah?" Goku turned his glowing visage to look his wife dead in the eye, his body still sparking around his skin and glowing brightly from his newly ascended form. It was to Goku's chagrin, that his eyes met that of a pair of glaring onyx eyes, bared teeth, and a growling woman.

"WHY?! WHY DID YOU LEAVE YOUR FAMILY BEHIND, HUH?! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH YOU PUT ME THROUGH?! DO YOU KNOW WHAT ALMOST HAPPENED TO THE PLANET BECAUSE OF YOUR RECKLESS BRAVADO?! DO YOU?!" Chi-Chi yelled at the top of her lungs, causing the nearby Namekian to wince, as she began to shake him violently by his collar with both hands, as she unleashed all of her pent-up feelings she stored inside of her against his decision to stay dead.

"Now comes the unraveling emotions of a pregnant woman," Gohan said dryly, as his eyes dropped down to a half-lidded, blank stare as he saw the conflict coming a mile away, "let's see how dad tries to get out of this one-"

"I'm sorry," Goku's voice came out seriously, his face having lowered into a downcast, solemn expression. His voice came very soft, very quiet, and unlike any other time he had spoken to his family, it was very sincere and serious. It was enough to cause Chi-Chi to stop shaking her husband's collar, as his left hand came up to gently squeeze her right hand, as he sighed, continuing his apology, "I've come to realize that I haven't been making the best decisions recently, even before I died. I've been ignorant of your feelings, and Gohan's, whenever I would try to take the opportunity to leave on an adventure, I'd leave you two behind. I guess a part of me thought that things didn't have to change since we were kids, and that I'd always come and go whenever I felt the impulse. I brushed off your anger, your sadness, and your loneliness as silly things I didn't need to worry about...but I was so wrong."

Looking up, Goku felt his lips quiver, as his eyes began to water with tears, trying to muster the resolve to continue speaking, "I only hope that you'd forgive me. All I've done those three years was doing nothing but ignoring your feelings and Gohan's. I don't want you to think me as some rotten father, or a bad husband. I want you to understand my feelings for you and this family are still sincere, if not stronger than before."

"O-Oh Goku," Chi-Chi raised her left hand up to stroke her husband's face, wiping away some of his tears, as tears of her own accumulated within her own eyes, "I don't want you to change. Your heart is as precious as gold, and your passion for justice and protecting others is what I've come to love about you the most. You shouldn't apologize, for I have done nothing but push just as hard back, trying to make sure we had the perfect normal life. I thought if I could give Gohan the proper upbringing that you didn't get, he'd be able to have a happy life, devoid of conflict and heartache. But I've just realized...how much I've missed your presence...by my side, for all who you are. Just promise me that you'll stick closer to home, when you do come home, okay?"

"Chi-Chi!" Goku laughed through his tears, nuzzling her neck as he hugged as gingerly as he could, as her wife returned the gesture as tightly as she could. As he began to relinquish in his hold over her, he leaned back enough to see defining bulge encompassing her midriff, the obvious signs of pregnancy. With a tender smile, he placed his left hand over the bump, feeling the developing child's movement within Chi-Chi, "so who's our little champ in you?"

Chi-Chi allowed a look of bashfulness cross her face, her face blushing as she stroked her midriff as her eyes met Goku's, "You really didn't think those couple nights spent before the Cell Games wouldn't have results, did you, Goku?"

Goku began to blush hotly himself, scratching the back of his head as he laughed timidly, "Yeah...I guess you're right, hehe!"

As the other three landed near Goku, the deceased Super Saiyan sighed with a sense of joy. He sensed Bulma and her child accompanied by a young girl up the stairs towards their direction.

"Its great to see you all again," Goku spoke with a big smile on his face, as he saw the assemblage of dear friends and family gather before him.

"That's an understatement, you knucklehead!" Bulma spoke with a smile of her own, as she held Kid Trunks in her arms, contentedly cooing in his mother's embrace while ogling Goku's form.

"Goku!" Kid Trunks spoke with familiarity, smiling and giggling as he reached out playfully for the man whom made him laugh every time he saw him.

"Nice to see you and Trunks made it out okay," Goku smiled as he reached out and rubbed a hand over the little boy's capped head tenderly.

"Are you saying that I couldn't handle myself?" Bulma frowned playfully at Goku, placing her free hand on her hip.

"Nah, I knew you'd be fine, I'm just glad I was right this time around," Goku chuckled with admission, causing Bulma herself to giggle as well.

With a heavy sigh, he turned his attention to the next person who needed it the most.

His son.

Gohan had been oddly quiet since Goku's apology had started. He didn't know if he could look him in the eyes, as he had developed an accusatory remark to spite his father the next time he'd see him. Their parting words weren't the best, and he had expected the next time he'd hear from him was to be years, not months. If anything he wouldn't be surprised if he saw him when he died himself. But now that was here, in the flesh more or less, he didn't know how to start the conversation.

"I owe you an apology of my own to you, Gohan" Goku spoke plainly, as he approached his only son, kneeling before him so his eyes would be level with his, "I've never treasured you the way a father should have. I ignored you as much as I ignored your mother when I went along with my life, believing that it was how families should behave. It was wrong to ignore your feelings, when you've pleaded to me to save Piccolo when he was in danger and to strike you so callously. I had no right to do that to you. Furthermore, I saw a glimpse of your potential in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. I decided to gamble upon it, rather than fight the good fight as I always have done. I treated my battle with Cell as nothing more than a friendly competition, and thoughtlessly tossed you to him at his strongest. I shouldn't have needlessly sacrificed everything dear to me, especially the father that you desired and needed the most."

Placing his hands on his boy's shoulders, now trembling as tears welled up within his own emerald ones, staring back at Goku's repentant ones, his father spoke with finality, "Will forgive your dad, just this once?"

"Dad!" Gohan threw himself into his father's arms, burying his face as he cried out, "I m-m-missed you so much! I didn't know if I-I-I would see you again!"

"I know, son. I know," Goku spoke softly, rubbing his teenage son's hair thoughtfully as he held him close to his being, knowing he probably won't get another chance for awhile to do that for his growing child.

But for the moment, as long as he was remaining in the living world, he'd cherish what time he'd have left with his friends and family.

* * *

"Wow! I can't believe it!" Tien gawked up through the gaping hole where the pyramid of Battle Island II used to be, and where Bojack had rammed himself upwards. From there, Yamcha and himself could feel what had transpired up above as clear as if they were seeing it with their own eyes. Goku had made a miraculous, and for once, an unexpected return.

"Yeah, who'd thought Goku would come in like that," Yamcha spoke with a sigh of relief, washing over his stressed and beaten body, "I just wished I could have flown up there with the others to see it for myself..."

"You and me both," Tien grunted with admittance, feeling annoyed at himself for being so exhausted the way he was.

"Well, considering Krillin got a free ride out of this dump, who's going to come and get us?" Yamcha complained, flailing his arms as his back remained upon the ground, wincing from the slight exertion he made even doing so.

"Sorry ladies, but it looks like you'll have to settle for me," a dry, humored voice announced itself, as 17 walked casually towards the group with a slight limp in his steps. His black jacket had been burnt, shredded, and torn from the battle, in accord with his jeans, boots, and shirt. All in all, he looked pretty irritated, but managed to hold up a genuine smile of relief on his young face, "you don't mind, do you?"

"Ha! No I don't mind at all!" Yamcha laughed aloud with thankfulness, raising an arm for 17 to grab a hold of, "say, you seen Vegeta around here?"

"Why do you ask?" 17 asked, sounding annoyed as he roughly threw Yamcha over one shoulder, earning a satisfying yelp in response.

"Agh! I was just saying...if he's under a pile of rubble at this point, won't he be pissed off?" Yamcha asked as 17 reached down and hauled Tien much more gently over his other shoulder.

"I think the way that Vegeta was blindsided by Bojack, I doubt he'd be pleased, even if we sat him on a leather couch," 17 spoke with a dubious tone, firmly lifting all three of them up into the air towards the hole in the fake sky ceiling.

"Isn't that the truth-?" Tien began to say, before a thunderous quaking motion could be felt throughout the demolished underground city.

The landscape began to tear open into gaping fissures, in the wake of blazing golden flames erupting from a singular point, emanating from a single corner of the city. Then, it could be seen as a terrifying yell erupted from the gothic city battlefield. As the golden flames spread forth, like an ungodly wellspring of fire from a geyser of purified energy, a streak of lightning discharged upwards, along with the Ascended Super Saiyan's being. Expanding to be the width of a skyscraper as it pummeled the ceiling and sprayed into the sky flamboyantly, the figure rising methodically swift and perfectly vertical.

Vegeta, had awakened.

* * *

As Goku had finished speaking with Gohan, he hadn't the time to turn to Trunks or Piccolo as a sudden blast of energy blasted forth from the nearest side of the untouched stadium grounds.

The explosion gave birth to a stream of golden lightning, crackling and shimmering, all the way up to the dark sky high above the stadium. When it struck, the contours of the energy flared out brilliantly, spreading across the dark clouds like a web of golden electricity, sending dozens upon dozens of lightning bolts to crash all across the skyline and ocean's surface from the ferocity of which the energy had been projected.

When Vegeta finally arose to meet in a level horizon with the gaping Z Fighters assembled before him, he cut the flow of projected power as suddenly as it came, causing the sky to be filled with high negatives, but absent of the bright golden pillar emanating from the Ascended Super Saiyan.

Trunks breathed a sigh of relief, as did Bulma and her child within her arms.

The others, looked hesitantly at the glare that fixated upon Goku's now standing form. His shining emerald eyes burned much more fiercely and controlled than Goku's, but it was apparent he wasn't going to do anything stupid. A mutual silence followed upon the two warriors' eyes met, as it was clear that Vegeta wanted to ask the question that had been on his mind more than the others.

The tension was palpable, as the two Ascended Super Saiyans' auras crackled and glowed vibrantly, as they stared each other down.

"I'll return," Goku said with a defining tone of certainty, causing Chi-Chi and Gohan's eyes to widen with hope and joy. Piccolo couldn't help but smile alongside Trunks, as they knew he would come back eventually.

"Don't keep me waiting," Vegeta spoke with a dry tone of acknowledgement. Looking over to Trunks and Gohan, he nodded to the two of them, as his aura crackled to heights beyond even the Saiyan prodigy and his father, "wait here. I'm going to finish off Bojack myself. He earned a death wish when he blindsided me."

"We'll stay here and keep an eye on our families, father," Trunks nodded, as he spoke for Gohan and himself, as nodded with seriousness to his dad's gaze, "go finish this!"

"I intend to!" Vegeta spoke with a dark smile, moments before his body took to the air and flung towards the impact site of Bojack.

He'd finish this with Bojack. One way, or another.

* * *

Bojack's eyes slowly opened. He began to pull himself out of the massive pile of molten rock that had collapsed on top of him the moment his unconscious body struck it. His right arm was still bleeding and still in constant, agonizing pain. The latest impact had only furthered the reveal of an exposed, violet-stained bone from his lopsided angle that his right forearm was display. His jaw had been splintered from the punch, allowing little to no movement from his mouth, and his body was scarred from various impacts from his last battle.

He could only growl at this point, and it was the only thing he could feel at this point be an appropriate verbal gesture to communicate his livid, frustrated state.

It wasn't until he saw a nearby, speeding entity approach him rapidly with a golden-aura, rocketing forth at speeds he could barely see, that fear crept within his spine. His eyes barely met Vegeta's, before he felt himself struck in the chest...

**KRAK-KOOM!** "GAUGH!" The result caused Bojack's eyes to bulge out with shock, as the wind was knocked out of him, and his body careening in the wake of a powerful shockwave, flattening the debris-ridden volcano upon the island, rippling across the ocean and towards the coast with a powerful gust of wind.

Before Bojack could skirt across the surface of the water long, Vegeta would reappear within a golden streaking visage, driving him deep into the ocean below with a mighty upheaval of water. The rising waves of water billowed upwards and outwards at an astronomical rate, as a balloon of broken air pressure divided the layers of moisture till the bottom soil was exposed.

With his back deeply indented into the earth, he felt as if his abdominal muscles were collapsing under the sheer pressure of the Saiyan prince's fist, indenting his waist towards his back.

The Herasian Overlord could barely move a muscle, as he'd find his ribs cracking from an additional punch, projecting the soil further downwards and the spread out waves even further. The punches grew more fierce and quicker in repetition in a matter of seconds, creating crackling blasts of lightning and distorted pressurized wind that continued to expand the drying crater of seabed beneath Bojack, and the rising voluminous tides of water, curtaining the violence with a dramatic flair.

"How does it feel, Bojack?!" Vegeta snarled out, roaring past the rapid series of punches that decked him further and further into the drying up seabed, crackling with golden tendrils of hyper-friction and discharged energy, exiting from his knuckles, "to be helpless and weak! Defenseless! Like Kakarot's family! LIKE MY FAMILY, YOU COWARDLY BASTARD!"

Bojack couldn't even sneer at his enemy. His mouth gaped, as much as it would allow, as his body cracked and battered under the enormous yield of strikes breaking his once feared and respected body. Now, it would become nothing more than carrion fodder, if he was lucky enough to have any remains left over.

But his agony was nothing compared to the next act the Ascended Super Saiyan preformed.

Grasping the exposed bone, perforating from the torn and shredded arm, he gave a violent yank and pulled it directly out of the wounded arm. As the geyser of violet blood sprayed out, Bojack gave a hoarse howl, signifying the excruciating pain he had been submitted to feel. That yell would be cut short, as the bone would be turned over and thrust into his gut, with a welt squelch as it penetrated his bruised and broken skin and muscles, directly into his gut.

"Its funny how your body sometimes doesn't do what it wants, isn't it?" Vegeta mocked as he twisted the bone in his enemy's insides, causing him to writhe and gargle in pain, blood coming up his throat and coating his face.

As the water began to recede back towards the impact sight, the Super Saiyan 2 swung his arm to the side, sending a telekinetic field to hold back the skyscraper-tall waves of voluminous sea water. After that was done, Vegeta raised his arm towards the sky, opening his palm up. What transpired before Bojack's eyes had him gaping with fear and awe.

The enormous discharge of energy that Vegeta had discharged into the heavens wasn't beyond his reach. In fact, he had full control over it, and had begun to pull it down within a stream of enormous electrical discharge into the palm of his right, open hand. The width of the energy spanned nearly a quarter of a mile, and seemed to cause the storm overhead to spin around like a hurricane of negative energy.

The air around the dry seabed crackled with intensity, indenting the earth, and causing spare bits of moisture to dry up, sizzle all around the air and causing the atmosphere in between the giant swirling maelstrom of water to become insufferably static and hot.

"T-This can't be happening! Son Gohan was strong enough to wound me...and...this Vegeta...has done ten times worse in a matter of a single minute!" Bojack thought with undeniable fear, his body shivered with uncontrollable spasms of pain and injury, as he lied helplessly before his executioner, "the gods set this up! They knew this would happen! They played me for a fool!"

"Allow me to introduce you to my newest technique, Bojack," Vegeta crowed out, as the last of the electrical forces from the sky compressed into the palm of his hand, allowing him to ball it up into a fist. Glowing white hot with intensity, the fist flew downwards to the protruding bone sticking out of the Herasian's gut, disintegrating it bare centimeters away, before the appendage drilled a hole through the ruthless nightmare's torso. Then, the attack was unleashed.

**KRRRRRRAAAAAAAK-KOOOOOOM!** "**_SAIYAN THUNDER!_**" Vegeta roared out with a mighty yell, as his fist unleashed a magnanimous explosion of golden-white electrical energy from his knuckles, effectively cooking Bojack's skin before evaporating it into the dust. The explosion that would follow would trail up in a discharge of yellow fire, expanding the space of which Vegeta had ballooned from before into a square mile of cooked seabed, sending vast waves backwards for a great distance, before the mighty ocean would recede.

Bojack the Unbound, has been slain, and the nightmare, was finally over.

* * *

As the brilliant light of Vegeta's attack lit up the sky and blew away the skyline of darkness, the Z Fighters assembled around Goku within Battle Island II's nigh vacant stands, breathed a collective sigh of relief.

In the wake of such a moment, Goku also noticed his body starting to glow, even to the point of looking transparent. Looking up at his hands respectively, his family and friends knew what it meant all too well. Goku was about to be sent back to the Other World.

"Well, I guess I'm about to head off for now," Goku smiled, noting the collective looks of sad smiles sent his way, knowing they'd miss him after seeing him so soon, "but don't worry guys. I meant what I said to Vegeta. I'll come back, but not through the Dragon Balls. This time, I'm going to earn my way to live the life I wanted to have, and the Kais provided a way for me to do so."

"Ha! I bet its a Tournament!" Yamcha teased, still leaning on 17 for support, along with Tien.

"H-How did you know?!" Goku briefly blinked in surprise at Yamcha for guessing so accurately.

"It wouldn't be hard for any of us to believe that you'd find the excuse not to use the Dragon Balls if a Tournament was involved," Tien chuckled, rolling all three of his eyes at the revelation.

"It was probably his idea too," Gohan quirked, smirking as he knowingly saw Goku sheepishly chuckle as he scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah...hit the mark again, haha!" Goku laughed in admittance, causing everyone's head to either hang or let loose a series of humored chuckles.

"Well, before I go," Goku cleared his throat, as he turned to his wife. Grabbing her by the head, he leaned in and gave her a deep, heart filled kiss, holding it as long as he could, so he would cherish Chi-Chi's warmth. Strangely, when Chi-Chi felt herself enamored by the kiss, she felt Goku's hand tap gently across her midsection, and sending a surge of warmth into her belly, directly infusing into her developing child.

"Oh G-G-Goku!" Chi-Chi's eyes opened wide as she gasped for air from the kiss, feeling the child kick happily within her womb, briefly seeing her belly glow with the golden power of Goku's Ascended Super Saiyan energy, before it simmered to normalcy, "what did you do?"

"Call it an early birthday present for our kid," Goku winked, giving her a smile of seriousness to her, "he'll grow up to be much stronger than myself when I was a kid. That empowerment will guarantee it."

Everyone became astounded at the sight. While Chi-Chi timidly nodded, still unsure of what this would do to her yet-to-be-born child, but she was grateful none the less that Goku was being thoughtful. Even if he couldn't give their baby a physical gift, this, in a way, was much better.

Bulma herself uttered a sound of dawning, "Huh, so that's what Vegeta did...?"

"Did what?" Trunks, speaking up for the first time since Goku's arrival. He really didn't feel much was needed to be said, as he already made his peace with Goku. Seeing him now didn't change it, but when his mother spoke up, his attention was re-diverted.

Turning to look at Trunks equally as much as she explained to the others, as she bounced her son's counterpart in her arms, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you this, but a few months ago, _little_ Trunks got sick. I was going to take him to the doctor to have him examined and your father found out. I saw him put his hand over his head and say something I didn't make out before he made him glow. In just a few hours, he was giggling and happy, with much more energy than I thought him to be capable of. I think what Goku just did is the same thing, kinda..."

"Oh, I see," Trunks furrowed his brows, already having mixed feelings about what his father did. The fact that he must have noted his own child's moment of helplessness, even if it wasn't serious, must have compelled him to give him strength that he didn't naturally possess. He just didn't know if it was a good thing to keep his younger counterpart from struggling on his own or receiving help in that form. Either way, he allowed himself a brief smile, knowing that his father cared that much to actually do something for his son.

"Well, I'm about out of time guys," Goku swung a half-salute at his friends, before placing a strong hand onto his son's head, ruffling it with a smile, "you did well son. I can truly count on you to handle things your own way. Just remember that you're not alone, and that your friends are here beside you. Fight alongside them as a comrade, and you'll become truly invincible. Its what got me as far as I have."

"I will," Gohan smiled back up at his father, as he began to shimmer into transparency, fading into non-existence once more, "and thank you for believing in me...dad."

* * *

**Several hours later...**

"..._as the investigations continue to pile onto Mr. Cash's lap for allowing Terrorists to enter the Tournament, a news conference was aired not but an hour ago, with King Furry himself making a statement to the press about the mysterious World Champion, and the mysteriously alleged Z Warriors..._"

"_I'm sure you're all very shocked, at this time, but this isn't anything new to me. During my privileged time, serving as your monarch, I have known someone by the name of Son Goku who has been fighting these extraterrestrials, monsters, and demons since his time as a child to adulthood. The Red Ribbon Army, a menace that terrorized the world decades ago. The Demon King Piccolo, a madman who usurped my throne and nearly sent the world into chaos. The Aliens from space who annihilated West City. And the most despicable and recognizable menace that was named Cell, whom nearly destroyed the whole planet. All of them have been fought and stopped by various heroes, formed from the group called the Z Warriors. Base on the testament of previously assumed World Champion, Hercule Satan, at the Intergalactic Tournament, there is no more further proof needed to explain the actions and the reality of where our world resides within this eternal conflict, of good and evil. If they have kept this Earth safe, time and again, without even our realization of it happening, then I believe we should give them the benefit of the doubt, and keep believing in them, and our newfound champion, Vegeta..._"

"_And there you have it folks. A recounting from our esteemed monarch, King Furry, giving his personal faith to the Z Warriors after they staved off an outrageous attack by REAL extraterrestrials, has left the media and people of Earth with mixed views. Who are these Z Warriors? How does King Furry know this Son Goku? Why haven't we noticed this until now? I'm Jimmy Firecracker, and letting you know the facts straight from the source. Stay tuned, as major lawsuits of magnanimous proportions pile up on Hercule Satan, for incredible fraud for setting himself up as the hoax of the world. And now, a look at the weather..._"

As the TV continued to drawl on a much more mundane set of news within the hospital room, Krillin's eyes finally opened. Having passed out from his battle after immediately receiving a kiss from the woman of his dreams, he was almost afraid to wake up. For one, he felt a lot better, as pain killers were flooding his system, injected via IV tube attached to his right arm, giving him a hazy euphoric sensation upon to fully awakening. Next, he felt a distinct warmth over the top of his blanketed chest.

Blinking, Krillin saw the blonde haired beauty, with her eyes closed, resting her head directly over his chest. Faced in his direction, the bald monk could feel himself blushing hotly, seeing the gorgeous woman seated so close in proximity to him. He could smell the scent of her hair, past the smell of scorched clothing from the intense battle that she had endured against his own oppressor, the one responsible for putting him in the hospital to begin with.

"Just my luck," Krillin muttered aloud, brushing her hair softly with his free left hand, as he smiled thoughtfully at his heroine, "if girls aren't stealing my heart, they're kicking my ass. Sometimes that falls into both categories, hehe..."

"I don't know about that," 18 muttered back, a sudden smirk crawling onto her face, as her soft blue eyes opened and met Krillin's onyx ones, "you did hit that bitch pretty hard in order to piss her off that much..."

"E-E-Eighteen!" Krillin spoke aloud with surprise, his blush rekindling twice as strong, as he retracted his hand and sheepishly smiled back at her, as he clumsily tried to speak to her, "I uh-er-I...mean...um...th-thank you. For what you did for me."

"You don't need to thank me, Krillin," 18 smiled back softly, as she leaned back onto her kneeling stance, crossing her arms in front of herself on the short man's bedside, "she had what was coming. If I hadn't stepped in, she might have hurt a lot of good people. Innocents...just like Cell had done..."

"Yeah, it was real brave for you to jump in like that. Even if it wasn't me, it was real nice for you to-" Krillin started to talk, before he saw 18 stare seriously at him, cuing him to shut up.

"We need to talk," she spoke evenly, taking control over the conversation with no gesture other than her eyes fixating onto the bald monk's. The tone shifted though, as her cheeks began to tint a slight scarlet flush radiate from her fair skin, "about us..."

"Us?" Krillin could barely voice out what she just said, his eyes squinting to comical proportions of incredulous disbelief.

"Yes, us," 18 rolled her eyes with a humored smile, before they locked back onto Krillin's eyes, as she continued, "I've been thinking about this a lot. Ever since the moment you used your wish on the Dragon Balls, to rid my brother and I of the bombs in us...I felt a sense of utter freedom...that I never could shake, even after Dr. Gero was killed. Or even when Cell was destroyed. You made a wish that you could have used for anything, and you selflessly used it for my sake, as well as my brother's."

"Yeah, well, I didn't really think of you guys as inhuman monsters that crazy doctor wanted you to be. You were just lonely and had no one to accept you for who you were. And deep down, I saw the woman I knew who had a heart of gold, even if she never had a chance to prove it," Krillin smiled as big as he could, even as tears mustered up on his black beady eyes, "after all, you saving me proved I was right, hahahaha!"

"You're so thoughtful, Krillin," 18 smiled as she whispered, her eyes starting to fall half-lidded, as her face leaned towards the incapacitated, timid warrior, "you're not the strongest human I've met, nor are the strongest willed. But...in the end...your heart is bigger than all of theirs combined. Such compassion, isn't overlooked. Especially...by someone...like...me," she finished, as her lips finally touched his and quieted any retort he may have had.

Krillin, for the first time in his life, felt at complete contentment and peace. The woman of his dreams that he had sought to protect, to trust his feelings with, and hopefully get them in return, had finally acknowledged her own love to him. Even if it wasn't straightforward or blunt, her words and her actions spoke volumes of how she felt towards him. And Krillin felt like the situation couldn't get any better...

"Knock Knock!" 17's dry voice cut through the air, like an unwelcome knife burying into skin. Unlike his sister, he had changed his clothing to a simple black T-shirt, and a red-black ball cap. The only thing he salvaged of his old look was his boots and jeans, despite their wear-&-tear look, he couldn't part with them.

As 18 broke the kiss, Krillin felt himself pale at the look of sheer rage behind her eyes. Veins protruding from her forehead only further emphasized her anger at her brother's rude interruption of a special moment. As she turned around, Krillin could swear if she could project an aura of Ki, it would be as hot as magma at this point, when she addressed her brother at her full height.

"Seventeen...what a pleasant...surprise," she barely uttered out, feeling her teeth ground into each other, as her twin brother just smiled and shrugged off her anger.

"Whatever, sis. If you want to make out with your boyfriend, that's fine, I'll only be a moment. I just wanted to pass a message to the bald guy first," 17 spoke with a show of hands, trying to defuse his volatile sibling's anticipated retort.

"Message?" Krillin blinked a few times, trying to decipher what that could mean. As he thought about it, he was kind of surprisingly alone. Usually the whole gang would show up at once. What's changed?

"Yeah, the big green guy, Piccolo, asked me to do it," 17 shrugged, nonchalantly, as he crossed his arms, expertly diverting 18's attention away as he continued to relay what he knew to Krillin, "Yamcha and Tien had been placed in a hospital room not but a few rooms down the hall from you. If you feel up to it, you can visit them there. As for the others, Piccolo's trying to ensure most of the guys are staying far away from the press. Unlike Vegeta, the rest of the gang doesn't seem to have an army of lawyers stacked up and waiting to press back any filing complaints for damages they have been _responsible_ for."

"Boy, that's a bummer," Krillin pouted, suddenly realizing that he hadn't been approached or questioned. Either the human trio had been condoned, if but temporarily, because they played a much smaller role, or they were hospitalized. Both ways, he knew that things would change and be a lot different than it used to be, "I guess I don't envy Gohan's predicament then, considering he was one of the highlights of the whole crazy mess. Even if Vegeta killed the guy, he was the one that was aired on most cameras. It makes sense the media would pay attention to him and what he's going to do."

"Yeah, and don't worry about my sis or I. We can handle ourselves around the press. They couldn't catch us anyways," 17 reassured Krillin with a smile, thumbing over at the blonde cyborg next to him.

Unfortunately, his attention was too diverted for him to notice the sudden movement of her hand reaching for his ear, yanking it hard in retaliation.

"AH-AH-AH-AH, hey, cut that out!" 17 protested, as 18 glared towards her brother, rolling her eyes as she waved to Krillin with a smile.

"I'll be seeing you later, Krillin," 18 spoke her parting words, as she walked out smoothly, hauling her brother clumsily in toe, as he yelled out in pain and protest.

"See you too, 18," Krillin spoke with a fond tone, waving back, as he reclined back into his bed and cushions. He smiled as his eyes closed, and drifted off to peaceful slumber once more.

* * *

"Man, this is totally bogus," Yamcha uttered in complaint, as his body lied back, half numb from the pain killers rushing through his worn and torn body. His brows furrowed as he balled his fists, feeling unsatisfied to a certain degree.

"I'm going to try my best not to acknowledge you just used the word, _bogus_," Tien said in an irritated tone, sitting more upright than Yamcha, his arms and torso bandaged a little more than his black haired, scar-faced comrade.

"I mean, we busted our asses out there, and we get practically nothing for our trouble!" Yamcha sat up, looking over at Tien, as he emphasized with his wrapped arms in specific gestures, "I mean think about it! We actually beat the bad guy! In a stylish way at the end!"

"Aren't you just happy to be alive?" Tien inquired with a humored grin.

"It'd be nice to be alive and actually get something for the trouble we got. We didn't even get the media's attention throughout all of this crap we had to endure, almost dying and all," Yamcha flopped his arms to his bedside once more, huffing with a frown on his face.

"You're just jealous," Tien grinned knowingly, as he leaned back into his cushion.

"Yeah...maybe a little," Yamcha sighed, looking to the door, gesturing towards it with one hand, "I'd just like it if for once, some hot chicks would come in the room and be concerned about us, instead of us getting ditched or us getting pitied or laughed at by the other guys..."

Just as Yamcha began to finish his sentence, he heard a few hushed whispers outside of the door. Through the window divider, he could faintly see a crop of blonde and blue hair, respectively owned by a pair of young ladies, as they walked straight into the hospital room. Yamcha's jaw almost hit his bed, feeling like he was a psychic for making such an outrageous prediction nonchalantly and having it come to life.

However, it wouldn't be compared to how shocked Tien would be to see that familiar face cropped by beautiful blonde curls.

"L-Launch?!" Tien uttered out in disbelief, as he saw his ex walk right in with a blue-haired girl in tow. Currently donning a crimson tank top, accenting the telltale red ribbon tied around her head, she held a black strap matte bag over her shoulder, adorning a pair of red finger-less gloves, and a pair of black shorts, accented by a pair of white-red tennis shoes.

She smiled with satisfaction, as she looked to her friend and spoke with an upraised fist of victory, "Great work, Maron! Who knew that you'd make such a great distraction for that security guard to let his defenses around me?!"

"Distraction? I thought I was asking him for directions? Are we lost, Launch?" Maron asked, propping a hand onto her chin, as she stared wide-eyed at her mischievously acting friend. Contrary to Launch's current personality, Maron appeared much more naive, perhaps more-so than her shy self. With bright blue hair, a slight hue difference than Bulma's, fair complexion, and a curvaceous figure that was hidden her skin. Her attire composed of a tight red sleeveless shirt, revealing her lower back and navel area, as well as her voluminous chest straining beneath it. With only a short black skirt and a pair of red high heels below, much of her supple and smooth skin was left to the view of Yamcha, something he was all too pleased about.

"H-H-H-H-Hot!" Yamcha's brain thought with spastic joy. Instantly, he remembered the time he had met Bulma being somewhat similar to seeing this look-alike, Maron. The only real difference was, she appeared as dumb as a rock. Not that he had a problem with that, considering it was her intelligence and constant belligerence that wore down on him in their relationship.

"No, Maron, we aren't lost," Launch sighed, holding her head with her hands, massaging her temples as she closed her eyes. She mentally prepared herself for what she was about to do, and she didn't want her friend butting in. With a gesture towards Yamcha, without really thinking about it, she said in exasperation, "look, can you talk to Yamcha for a little bit? He's a cool guy, and he's actually a war veteran from a lot of intense stuff back in his day. I just need a moment with Tien so-"

"OOOOOOOOOOOOH!" Maron's eyes suddenly went wide with excitement, as she turned around and practically hopped onto Yamcha's beside, landing partially on his injured legs, "you're a war veteran?! Is that how you got those scars?! How DID you get those scars?! Tell me tell me tell me!"

Taken aback by the sudden leap onto his legs, Yamcha bit down on his tongue and kept a brave smile up. Secondly, her body's proximity to his was a welcome distraction and change of pace, having never been this close to a girl before since Bulma. The fact she was so enraptured, whether it was genuine or not, in his own facial deformity, that he actually had to keep himself from blushing like an idiot and started to tell the actual story behind his scar.

"Well, you see...there were these guy who served the Red Ribbon Army. At the time it was just me and my trusty sword, so I had to get close to get rid of the gun-toting losers! This scar is the result of a rifle butt smashing up into it good, breaking my jaw and nearly knocking me out cold," Yamcha, began to tell Maron, whom seemed to be delighted in hearing the tale, and continued to talk of his exploits back when he was a bandit.

This left Tien and Launch, more or less, alone to talk out their issues.

"So, you look pretty banged up, Tien," Launch spoke curtly, an evident smirk on her face, as she always enjoyed getting a rise out of him.

Tien fixated all three eyes of his on his bipolar ex, asking her straight up, "Why are you here, Launch?"

"Isn't it obvious, or do I need to spell it out for you?" Launch rolled her eyes, her smile turning into a sneer as she tapped her foot impatiently.

Looking towards the window and away from Launch's immediate gaze, Tien sighed aloud, "It isn't simple. It may seem like it, but ever since that battle, knowing that I failed to protect Chiaotzu, just told me how incapable I was to protect those I care about. This is why I can't take him with me into battle anymore, and this is why I can't be near you when stuff like this happens-"

**SLAP!** "BULLSHIT!" Launch snarled out suddenly, causing Yamcha and Maron to lock their attention to the verbal conflict, as the blonde slapped Tien across the face. Heaving with exertion, her own hand stung from making contact against such a tough jawline, but her point had been made, giving her vigor to continue speaking, "you honestly think that you have to be everywhere at once and protect everything around you at all times?! That's what has been holding you back for the past three, four years?!"

Tien's eyes winced from the slap, not because of the pain, but what her words meant. Lowering his gaze, he still couldn't meet her eyes, as he looked down to his lap, contemplating the gravity of his choice up till now, "I trained to fight the Androids, and nearly gave up my life tooth and nail to stop that monster on TV, Cell. I have been trying, desperately, to measure up to Goku and the others. But I can't protect people like he can. I can't break the laws of death or selflessly make my own sacrifice worth something. What if-"

"What if?! This is all on a WHAT IF?! I can't believe this!" Launch threw her hands into the air, circling around incredulously, as her back turned to the bed-ridden warrior behind her, sliding her hands down her face as she groaned out, "what happened to the man who gave Hell to anyone who stepped in the ring with him? What happened to the man I...I...I," turning around, she sighed heavily as her eyes turned back to meet Tien's upraised ones. Blue-green eyes filled with sadness and regret, "I fell in love with?!"

Tien couldn't feel himself speak.

He knew he had no reason to rekindle his relationship with Launch. It was his moment of self pity and cowardice that kept him from returning his sights back upon the Bipolar woman. It was the moment of weakness that he felt when he felt completely helpless against the hands of Nappa, a monster of unbelievable power and menace, who casually harmed his friends and caused slaughter with a sick smile on his face. That fear was only remembered when he faced down the terror that was Cell, a monster's cunning which only rivaled Nappa's monstrously dark persona.

Raising his face, he looked up at Launch with a sad smile, "I don't know. These last six months, I've been doing nothing but trying to pick up where I last left off before the Saiyans arrived. Back when I was at my prime, and when Goku was second to me. This last battle I barely came out it winning, with Yamcha's help. What if I can't stop the bad guys next time? What will happen-"

"Will happen," Launch finished for him, raising a fist up in emphasis as she smiled, giving him a thumb's up, "you just do me a favor and let me get grabbed by the hand of fate when it happens. If you keep fighting it, Tien, you won't go anywhere in life. You'll flat line and won't get a chance to see what you're capable of. Just like how you showed me you were back when we first met."

"I will, Launch, and I-" Tien began to say, until his eyes widened at Launch's sudden sniffles.

"Ah...Ah...AHHHHHHHH-!" Launch's head reared back, before letting loose a loud, comical sneeze, "CHOOOOO!~"

Within an instant, her hair shifted color to blue, and her blue-green eyes shifted to brown black irises. Blinking a few times, she looked around as if dazed, and unsure where she was, "W-Where...am I?"

"Launch, you came here to see Tien, remember?" Maron nodded her head expectantly to Tien, apparently experienced enough to deal with her sudden mood flips.

"Oh, that's right," Launch's smile rekindled into a softer appeal, as she walked up to Tien's bandaged side, and wrapped her arms around him. She sniffled, not knowing why she had tears in her eyes, but was just thankful to see Tien again, "I missed you, Tien. I missed you a lot..."

"I know, Launch," Tien broke out a sigh, as he finally relaxed, hugging his long time friend and girlfriend, ready to rekindle their relationship, once more.

As he looked over at Yamcha, he saw Maron unexpectedly wrap an arm around the scar-faced bandit, and he return the favor. While it looked harmless, the look in Yamcha's eyes clearly spoke bounds of the direction he wanted to go with the semi-dim-witted girl.

For once, Tien and Yamcha felt as if life was going to get better for them for a change.

* * *

**Later that night...**

Mister Cash gulped as he walked through the dimly lit warehouse.

With all that's happened within the day, with a near apocalypse occurring on his son's birthday, Hercule being announced as a fraud, and the near total destruction of his Battle Island II's arenas and stands, he felt as if the entire world was collapsing on him. He knew that the current profits he reaped from the broadcasts, the attending audience, and other participants would eventually backlash as his top notch lawyers wouldn't be able to hold back the government, the media, and the public's attacks upon his reputation.

He came to this undisclosed location for one purpose and one purpose only: To save his skin and the immense fortune he had established.

Upon the first wave of calls he had constantly sent to the answering machine, one in particular caught his attention. A mysterious, distorted voice called over the line, saying to meet him alone within outskirts of North City's closed down industrial warehouse district. They assured him success and staving off the inevitable ruin that would befall any companies, investments, and his professional reputation would be completely nullified. How could he take them at face value? He didn't care, so long as it was all true and guaranteed.

Within a dusty office he entered, he encountered a solely lit lamp. It eerily kept in constant, slow motion, giving a particularly haunting atmosphere to the room that XS Cash entered within. Sitting on the far side of a square table, was a shadow enraptured man of tall stature, clothed in black leather and possessed a pair of gloved hands, most noticeably visible within the constant swinging rays of light from the lamp above.

"Thank you for joining me tonight, Xavier Samuel Cash," the man spoke in a level, crisp tone, possessing nothing but seriousness and professionalism in how he conducted himself. Despite this, he didn't make a move, other than to clasp his hands together, obviously enjoying his position of obscurity within the shadows, beyond the rich man's eye sight.

"Its Mr. Cash," the rich business man spoke as he approached the seat, taking it briefly in his pudgy hand, scooting it back before taking the seat for himself, so he could gauge the man on a level field of vision.

The dark outline was clearly a man whom had done rendezvous of this nature repeatedly, and despite his insistence, had found no respect for the man either, as his following words came out dryly, "Whatever you say, _Xavier_."

Rubbing his hands nervously, Mr. Cash blinked a few times, twitching out of irritation. He didn't allow anyone to speak to him on a first name basis, let alone the press use it on their broadcasts and announcements of him. Yet this man had obvious grasp of whom he was dealing with, as he spoke so casually to the powerful and influential man sitting but a spare meter or so away.

"You said that you could help me with my problem, mister...?" Mr. Cash tried to get to the point, not feeling comfortable being in such a degrading place and at such a late time of night.

"Trench," the man spoke curtly in response, before continuing, "its not a matter of _can_ we help you, but rather _will_ help you. Its only a matter of **you** cooperating with **us** to make it happen."

"How can I be sure you can possibly fix my problems?" Mr. Cash spoke doubtfully, leaning against the chair, allowing a smirk of confidence build up on his own rotund facial features, as he pointed a stubby finger at the intimidating outlined figure, known as Trench, "I'm the richest man in the world. Do you know what that means? It means there are very few people or organizations that can match up to my influence. The fact of the matter is that not only am I being accused of fraud, housing terrorist-motivated aliens in my Tournament, and risked the lives of thousands in the name of entertainment, is something that not my lawyers can fix, what makes you think **you** or any of _your people_ can do what I cannot?"

Trench chuckled darkly, sending a shiver down the rich man's spine. The sensation of masked obscurity, the location of this meeting with a vague man with bold claims, made him realize how vulnerable he was. Doubts crept into his mind, as he heard the creaking of the man's weight shifting forward, showing the lower jawline of the man's face. It wasn't enough to see his entire face, but a glimmer of light reflected off his eyes that mirrored his controlled distaste that showed visibly from a guttural snarl from his face.

"You simpering simpleton. **You** are the one cornered here, not **I**. You know full well the ramifications of what actions that have taken place today will not go unnoticed on your part. It'll be only a matter of time until your investors fear your business, the government have you locked up for endangering the lives of thousands unwittingly or not, and others come take advantage of your much weakened state of business. Your reputation means more than your life, _Xavier Cash_. Something that you obviously proved with your compliance in meeting with me tonight," he leaned back as he finished, his body being bathed by the obscure shadows once more, as the lamp continued to sway eerily above their heads.

Gulping down his anxiety, Mr. Cash reached for a handkerchief within his velvet jacket, and wiped away the cold sweat developing on his forehead, before redepositing it back into his chest pocket, "So...how much money are we talking about?"

"Not much, Mr. Cash, and not to be of your concern," Trench spoke smoothly, waving his right hand under the light in emphasis, "just know that by the time we're finished, your profits will have substantially increased, the media will praise your name, your face will be cherished by the public, and the government will turn a blind eye to this incident."

"If you're capable of such...uh...machinations, _Mister _Trench, why do you need my funds? Surely you could acquire your own sums of money for whatever venture you people do," Mr. Cash inquired, waving his hands in emphasis of his confusion.

"Do not think so little of yourself, Xavier. You funded a globally broadcasted event, manufactured two artificial islands, one the size of a mega-metropolis, into personal arenas. I'm very certain that whatever resources we require from you, will seem mundane in comparison," Trench spoke with a dry, assured tone.

"What purpose would such a discreet group of yours need with my money?" Xavier finally spoke up, and to the point.

This question was met with amusement, as Trench himself leaned forward, as he explained with a dreaded, dark smile, barely seen by the swinging light, "That is not for you to know, Xavier. The only thing you should know is that we have been pulling the strings behind the scenes of happenings for much longer than you will believe. The populace, the media, the government, and several rogue elements have been within our watch, control, or tight leash up to this point. That is the kind of power we possess, and the power you need, Xavier Samuel Cash, and its the power my organization can provide very handsomely, so long as you supply us with your resources indefinitely, from this point onward."

Grasping his handkerchief, Xavier rubbed his forehead of more accumulated sweat, feeling as if he will be making a deal with the devil. But if dealing with a demon is what would keep his lifestyle, his investments, and his reputation intact, then he was willing to commit a dark deed, if but just this once. After all, it was a fish eat fish world. Who cares what they do with his money, so long as he could keep most of it.

Reaching his hand forth for Trench to take a hold of, Xavier inquired with a hesitant smile, "Who should I make the checks out to?"

Leaning back within the shadows, Trench's own larger, black leather covered hand would grab a hold of Xavier Samuel Cash's hand with an iron vice grip. His voice spoke with dark reveling, as satisfaction laced his tone, "You may call us the Inner Circle."

* * *

**A/N**: _Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand that's a wrap! The Bojack Saga's conclusion has been updated and I hope you all enjoyed how the story has unfolded up to this point. These last six chapters have been a real blast, and I hope you enjoyed some parts as much as I've written them._

_For those of you just joining us, sorry if there was a little confusion. I updated Chapter 7 into three episodic parts to allow a more comfortable, pleasurable reading experience. Thus, this Chapter is officially the 10th Chapter. Just thought to clear that up first..._

_So in regards to how I ended the chapter, let me end this by sections. _

_-As far as I go for the Kaio-ken users, Krillin, Tien, and Yamcha, I won't give away numbers (cause Power Levels ARE BS) but I will say that for certain that they will master it to a degree that Goku hasn't or will not be able to. Its the edge that I hope to use to empower the humans in a variety of creative ways. It'll be different for each character as they try to find the perfect balance as they continue to perfect their techniques, strength and durability throughout the VC series. Some more so than others. Who will come out as the strongest human alive, and how strong will they become? Only time will tell..._

_-In explanation for the transference of SS energy into Chi-Chi's body and Kid Trunks being briefly exposed to it when he got sick, I'm basically creating a good explanation for why these kids are as strong as they were. Within reason, Goten and Trunks shouldn't have been that strong, considering how much trouble Gohan went through when he traversed through his childhood with a tenth of the power that Goten and Trunks had at their base levels when he was their age. This helps fill in that plot hole that Toriyama created, where he needlessly made them stronger to make them Plot Fodder for them to be used by Buu to get stronger. _

_-I must remind you again, this IS _the Vegeta Chronicles_. While I am giving more time and effort to side characters than they were originally conceived, there will be times when Vegeta will administer the killing blow to major enemies. It won't happen all the time, but he will be having a main POV throughout this story, and will be given a lot of credit, as his character was perhaps the most abused. He won't be unstoppable, he won't take Goku's place as being THE main character, but for the next few years of Goku's absence, he WILL be at the center of conflict, and will most likely be the strongest fighter at the Z Fighters' disposal, so expect him to take the helm of this story in his own way._

_-Those of you interested in how _The Other World Saga_ ties into this, please read the following update I'll have for OWS within this weekend. Being collaborative stories that tie well within each other, if you haven't read what's been going on in that story, then you are missing out. Its a bit more lax and laid back in some chapters, but it IS centered around Goku's exploits within Other World, and the development I'm preparing him for that led him up to THIS chapter. The 4th and 5th Chapters of OWS happen at the exact same time as the Bojack Saga, so I suggest taking a peak, to at least get an idea what's going on there, while this is going on. _

_-For Launch and Maron's intervention into this story, I will let you know what I'm allowing and what I'm not within their character. Yes, Launch, for the most part is still a psycho Bipolar chick, but has been able to be sobered up to a degree where she's been able to get a handle on her psyche and her loneliness. Up till seeing Tien again, she's been hanging with Maron, whom is a bit different from what you've known her from the Filler shows she's been involved. Maron never was Krillin's girlfriend, nor did the Garlic Jr. Saga ever occur. _

_Anything else less obvious, or that isn't directly relating to the plot I'll leave for you guys to chat, debate, or inquire me in your reviews or PM's. _

**NOTICE**: I will take a brief hiatus from writing VC Chapters for the next week. I am focusing on a new story that I will write on the side when I get the chance called _The Legend of Broly_, and VC's take on how their conflict came about, as well as the back story of the terror known as the Legendary Super Saiyan. This will play a critical role in the upcoming Arc within VC, and I will ensure that it will be a more expansive story relating to what makes Broly the way he is, rather than the poorly explained movie that debuted him in.

**Tune in next time**: The second child of Goku is born! A memorable occasion that will change Gohan, Chi-Chi, and all the Z Fighters' lives as we know it! What will Vegeta be up to? How will the exodus of the Bojack Saga affect the day-to-day lives of our heroes? Find out, on the next exciting chapter of the Vegeta Chronicles!


	11. Goten

**THE VEGETA CHRONICLES**

* * *

**Chapter 11 - Goten**

* * *

Vegeta sighed as he leaned back against the leather couch. Having just washed himself off from a good work-out with his son and Gohan, he left when he found that they were toning down their exercise routine. All because that girl, Videl, had showed up for the third month since the end of the Intergalactic Tournament. He found he couldn't stand being around the daughter of that worthless scumbag he humiliated. That, and it was beneath him to train at such a low level so the human could catch up to a reasonable level.

Vegeta decided then to train his other little pupil, stopping after several hours of that, before taking a shower and reclining as he worked, grasping a newspaper his wife left half-folded on a coffee table. He looked at a folded newspaper in his hand, and shrugged, going to see what was within the headlines...

**SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT**

_New Phenomena of the Century: Martial Arts Tournaments! The New Age succeeding the Old!_

_Ever since the beginning of time, civilization has always catered to events in which a test of fighting abilities are expressed. It can be something of a team event, like Football, or a contest between two players, like Tennis._

_But for the world as of late, nearly two decades of consecutive Tournaments known as the "World Martial Arts Tournaments," have been hosted for 24 times, with the 24th being hosted after nearly a decade long hiatus from the 23rd Tournament ring's destruction. The favoritism of martial arts being used as a form of entertainment had been reclaimed, and fans began desiring a new Tournament. After the eclipsing affair with the Cell Games, a new brand of fighters had arisen from the 200 fighters that entered the world-wide event known as the "Intergalactic Tournament," that took the audience across the globe by storm._

_The names of these fighters had been etched into our minds and recorded, as their battles literally shook the foundation of the Earth within the two man-made "Battle Islands," that Mr. Cash had constructed. Producing blinding lights from their bodies, from what we can speculate after much research, they have harnessed a life force energy that all living beings use to this day, but to a higher form, known as Ki. _

_Due to the revelation of such a brand of fighters being rediscovered from the era of the 23rd Tournament and prior to it, a new form of Class-based Tournaments are being organized around the world, based on the strength and skill used by what footage and numbers that had been skillfully analyzed and recorded by technology provided by X.S. Cash and professionals he had acquired to decipher their meaning. _

_**Class 1** - Fighters who fight on a level of superhuman proportions, they are considered an elite, "new" kind of martial artist. The likes of which were displayed by fighters of such caliber were: Vegeta, Trunks Briefs, Son Gohan. While other fighters had appeared fighting at such levels, they were never officially given proper credit due to their earlier losses or their forceful entry into the Intergalactic Tournament. _

_**Class 2** - Fighters whom have the talent of skills capable of reaching such heights but were knocked out within the first round or intermediate round before they could officially be named as such. Namely, they went as follows: Piccolo, Krillin, Tien Shinhan. _

_**Class 3** - The Normal plane of strength described for fighters who are at the physical peak of their own human limitations. Such fighters were best described to be ones who overcame other hopefuls and would-be challengers that entered in mass within the initial "Intergalactic Tournament," and were beaten within the preliminaries. One man was categorized to be within this level of strength, being the scar-faced man known as Yamcha. _

As such, any future Tournaments will be arranged in an according manner, so such one-sided conflicts will not take up the audience's time. 3rd Class Tournaments will be a regular, weekly event. A basic preliminary examination is held to determine the fitness and prowess of said fighters before the passing sixteen participants combat. Should a winner be determined from the 3rd Class Tournament three consecutive times, they become a candidate by default for a 2nd Class Tournaments.

_Held every six months, the 2nd Class Tournaments determines the value of the 3rd Class Champions and continued credibility of the 2nd Class fighters that continue to participate. As such, the Tournament would hold a total of thirty two battles between the mutually skilled martial artists, and continue to fight until one victor emerges. When a 2nd Class Champion has been victorious in two consecutive 2nd Class Tournaments, they can proceed to enter as a candidate for the 1st Class Tournament._

_Held every year, the 1st Class Tournaments are for the most hardened and skilled of martial artists, having fought their way up the ladder in a manner for which the world can recognize them as truly accomplished fighters. With much wider and opened spaces, these Tournaments are suited for much more diverse arenas for the more versatile combatants, or those who need room to exude incredible auras. _

_In any case, whomever becomes 1st Class Tournament Champion, is deigned the opportunity to have a special match against the World Champion himself/herself. In the event the World Champion forfeits the match, the new 1st Class fighter becomes the new yearly World Martial Arts Champion, and then will fight the next 1st Class Champion in an attempt to take the mantle for himself/herself as well. _

_With the surprisingly high reception and applause to the Intergalactic Tournament, and the new system having been suggested and put together by X.S. Cash himself, the Martial Arts Tournaments don't seem to be going away anytime soon. With luck, it will continue to be a central focus of sports entertainment for years to come. _

"Tch! They're making fights way too difficult than they need to," Vegeta remarked as he read through the article, rolling his eyes as the mentioning of how they all categorized himself and the others as mutually strong. Didn't they see him kill Bojack? Of course not, he thought, they were all too busy cowering in the background as he destroyed him down to atomic levels, leaving not a shred of hair left when he was done.

In a way, Vegeta relished the idea of a true challenge on Earth to arise, however. In the manner that they organized the Tournament, it culled the weak, and kept people and more experienced contenders' from wasting their time in seeing a fight of an ensured high caliber. With this idea of organizing fighters throughout the world, there would assuredly be someone else besides the Z Fighters he one too often enough gets paired with.

"Not like I need a challenge from these weak Earthlings," Vegeta muttered, shifting the newspaper's page. Changing topics away from Sports and more into the Entertainment section, Vegeta found a title that caught his attention, and decided to read its contents for himself...

_Our Hero a Hoax?! The Truth behind the lies of Hercule Satan!_

_Mr. Satan, an idolized and borderline worshiped icon among champions within the world had inspired many of the Earth's citizens into believing in his fabled, mystically high power. The same power that had led people into believing to have won the Cell Games and destroyed Cell, with some of them even giving him praise and credit for the mysterious occurrence of many of the slain victims by the evil creature coming back to life, through his own "divine power". _

_In order to properly analyze this man, we go back to the history of the Tenkaichi Budokai Tournament in which he first began his career as a revered and "powerful" warrior. _

_During the 24th World Martial Arts Tournament, an initial new champion was found from the ranks of humanity, named Hercule Satan, having won all eight consecutive matches of mutually acclaimed martial artists in each of his matches. Having used prowess the audience hasn't been familiar with in over a decade, the majority of the world had blindly assumed him to be Earth's hope during the Cell crisis, a few years later, in an event cruelly called, "The Cell Games," in which the evil creature hosted a mock Tenkaichi Budokai Tournament._

_After the mysterious fighters vanished from the scene and Cell had been confirmed to have been killed, we all took Hercule's word on him being the victor of that fight. But that wasn't the case by far. Revealed within a match set up by billionaire X.S. Cash, this proved to be directly to the contrary of what Hercule spoke of his competition years ago and his own confidence in beating such entities like Cell. Proven in a completely one-sided battle between now confirmed World Martial Arts Champion, Vegeta, Hercule had been within the receiving end nearly the entire battle, and then through a fit of frustration and guilt, had confessed to him lying to the world of the fear they all so praised and worshiped him for. _

_With credibility crushed, Hercule's title was immediately removed and has been banned from Martial Arts Events effective immediately. Initial reports within the first few weeks hounded Mr. Satan and paparazzi hot on his trail as all funds were sapped from the formerly generous fans and supplied by the gracious government, it wasn't until his twelve year old daughter and accomplished black belt, Videl Satan, had begun to induce a certain level of fear into the reporters, that Hercule's actions have gone off the grid and interest of the public. _

_Will his name ever be redeemed? Could he ever be allowed to fight in competitions, or teach martial arts ever again? Only time will tell if this man who used deceit to gain glory will ever be allowed to preform for an audience again. _

"Heh, good riddance I say!" Vegeta huffed, turning the pages a few times on the newspaper, not caring in the least that Hercule was practically on the streets. He was the last person on his mind as of late.

Flipping to the last page of his newspaper, he saw a vast array of silly drawn comics. Some had titles interpreting situations, scenarios and the like, rather than be recognizably titled comic series. One such image caught his eyes immediately, and caused his eyes to glare heatedly.

It was one composed of himself, with a comically blown up head, with broken teeth, black eyes, and bound in chains in the middle of the air by the noticeably grinning Herasian pirate gang, with Bojack rearing back a punch, with a speech bubble titled, "Some people, just don't know how to dodge..."

"Oh, HA-HA!" Vegeta yelled back at the paper, his fingers practically ripping the pages in half as he began to ball it all up, "let's see how funny you find it when I blow up your newspaper stands! Yeah, that's it! I'll go to your newspaper factory, float up above it, and BLOW IT TO HELL!"

As he threw the newspaper wad, it caught fire from the force he flung it, disintegrating before it struck the far wall of the family room. Crossing his arms, he barely acknowledged his wife entering the room, huffing with newfound anger swelling in his chest.

"Now honey, I'd appreciate if you didn't needlessly cause property damage," Bulma sighed, putting her hands on her hips as she observed Vegeta's cross expression he bore on his face, "I already had to use my family's lawyers to keep the media and meddling fans alike from stampeding our front lawn, I don't need the police to be on my doorstep either."

"Why would I care about the police, Bulma, when the entirety of your pathetic Earthling government wouldn't be able to lay a finger on me?" Vegeta sighed, sideglancing his mate, rolling his eyes as he leaned back onto the couch.

"Well, I'd appreciate if you don't needlessly drag the family into whatever temper tantrum you'll throw over a silly article," Bulma shook her head, smiling knowingly about what he read. She already read the whole newspaper while working with her parents in the morning, so she knew what precisely would incur such a frustrated state, and what would bring a smile to him. Apparently, he chose to save the worse for last.

"Did they not SEE me destroy that dumb, brutish, arrogant piece of garbage? No! They couldn't! Cause they were cowering on the coast and docks as I laid to waste another good-for-nothing piece of scum underneath my boot," Vegeta hissed, his hands visibly tightening across his forearms, leaving red marks as he glared at the wall beyond his sight, "they diddled and drew up stupid effigies of the skewed truth and decided to mock me!"

"Its your fault for humiliating Mister Satan. You wouldn't get the attention that you have now, what stuff you can't avoid, and hope to not get mocked," Bulma shrugged as she walked over to her husband's side. She wouldn't make it far, as she was drawn to what was underneath Vegeta's feet, and appeared to be struggling.

"WHAT THE HELL, VEGETA?!" Bulma's voice shrieked with alarm, as she nearly jumped at the sight before her.

Blinking irritably, Vegeta looked down at what his wife was pointing at. Sure enough, just where he left him, his son was directly underneath his boots, pumping his little stubby arms up and down in what looked like push-ups, with his feet being weights on his small back.

Looking up at Bulma, he looked at her with feigned ignorance, "Is there a problem, woman?"

"Oh don't you woman me!" Bulma fumed, stamping her right foot, as her right hand pointed to Kid Trunks sweating form as he pumped his body up and down, with his father's feet propped on his back nonchalantly, "you're making my baby, your son, do push-ups with your feet on his back?!"

Vegeta rolled his eyes, uncrossing his feet from the small Trunks' back, and picked up the sweating child by the back of his shirt. When fully brought up to eye level, parallel to his own head, he spoke in a dry tone towards Bulma, "Do you know how strong your son is, Bulma?"

"W-What?!" Bulma practically yelled incredulously at Vegeta's question, "of course I don't! He's just a child!"

"And yet, he's ten times stronger than any athlete you pitiful Earthlings have on this planet," Vegeta spoke matter-of-fact, before handing the surprisingly smiling little boy into Bulma's arms, "Trunks, please tell your mother what you've been doing the last several hours."

As Bulma received the sweating child, he looked up with an almost giddy expression on his face as he huffed and puffed, "Daddy had me run laps around the house, hit his hands, fly around, and do push-ups! He says I'm really, really, really strong!"

"I-I see...that's very nice of your father to spend some quality time with you," Bulma put on a forced smile, hugging her son into her bosom, as she fixated a heated glare at Vegeta.

His only response was a smirk, knowing he earned a victory in this particular squabble of theirs, even if she was displeased at the result.

"Well now that you've had such a thrilling work-out, how about you get cleaned up and go shopping with your mommy, huh? Won't that be fun?" Bulma bounced her son, earning a few giggles from him, as she doted over her son as she turned to leave Vegeta to his own devices.

Before she did, however, she turned to ask her husband from over her shoulder, "Vegeta, do you know what our Big Trunks is up to?"

"Oh, you mean tall and brooding?" Vegeta quipped as he placed his hands on his hips, nodding his head towards the wall, motioning outside, "he's teaching that Satan brat along with Gohan. Not sure if they're making any personal progress, I can tell you that much..."

"Huh," Bulma nodded, trying to gauge what Vegeta's offhanded comment meant, but decided to shrug it off for the moment. Right now she needed to get her hyperactive child away from his father and spend some time being normal. Living in a mansion with her parents living in a walk-in laboratory house and a bunch of teenagers training with their train-aholic father.

* * *

"Hah...Hah...Hah...!" Videl panted, as she felt her young body straining and her nerves feel as if they were on fire. She was focusing on pushing her body to the limits, as she had been instructed to do within the last couple months.

It had been easy going the first month, just a little sparring and learning how to harness her energy. Once she got that handled, she was taught how to fly and use it for basic enhancement for her strikes and to extend her stamina's current stores to become much greater than before. But lately, she felt as if she was dying with each training session she took with the young teenagers, both seeming as if they were weighting themselves down by training alongside her. Her desire, her ability to catch onto the basics and learn things with such speed, and tenacity surprised the Saiyan-hybrids, but did nothing to impress herself.

She still had a long way to go, and she knew it to be painfully clear.

Now, she was doing one-finger push-ups, with Gohan doing them by her side to keep her accountable and to practice his form alongside her. She was on her last five hundredth but was barely holding her body upwards. The stunts of having to haul boulders on her back, run and fly laps around the city, and then come back to do more crunches, sit-ups, and now finger push-ups, she felt as if any training she had done as a black belt felt easy and lax in comparison. It was clear that they were on a whole other level when it came to their training.

"You're doing good, Videl," Gohan encouraged, a smile elapsed over his face as his eyes turned to meet her strained ones, holding his posture to perfectly mirror hers, "you got this. Just one more and that's five hundred for your second hand."

Bending down once more, Videl strained her body to stay upright and balanced as she bent down towards the ground, and with a mighty heave, pushed herself back upwards. Almost within an instant, Videl fell forward onto her backside with a comical thud, as she heaved heavily from her most recent work-out. Her face was flushed red and her hair was as matted with damp moisture as her white T-shirt was through the exercise she endured.

"I can't believe...you guys...do...this...hard...of a...work out," Videl spoke in exasperated breaths, as Gohan did a few more finger push-ups with ease, before flopping forward next to Videl, joining her side-by-side position.

"Yeah, it seems tough now, but I was put through a lot harder training when I was a lot younger," Gohan spoke with a brief bout of nostalgia, putting his arms behind his back as he looked up at the sky above him, "in fact, the Hyperbolic Time chamber was probably the 2nd hardest time I ever had when training with my dad. The hardest being with Vegeta and Trunks in the Gravity Chamber."

"Wh-What...is...a...Gravity...Chamber...?" Videl asked in between labored breaths, rolling her head to look at Gohan with curiosity.

"Ah, that's the machine that Mr. Briefs created. Its a device that allows the interior of space to increase the density of the atmosphere into gravity much higher than the Earth's," Gohan explained, his smile and eyes pointing in Videl's direction.

Videl's eyes nearly popped out of her head when hearing this, as she breathed out exasperatedly, "You...have a machine...that increases...gravity...?"

"And train in it too, for the last nine months personally for me," Gohan nodded with a smile on his face, as he sat upright and observed Videl twitch incredulously. Turning over his gaze to Trunks, "hey, Trunks, how much have you trained in the Gravity Chamber? Longer than me, or closer to how much Vegeta has?"

Trunks didn't respond.

His eyes were closed and his arms crossed over his chest, as he leaned against the spherical shaped machine in question, stoically quiet. He hadn't uttered a sound other than concentrated breathing. Trunks tapped his foot on the grass, almost with an impatient edge, showing a clear sign he was in deep thought rather than simply rendered unconscious.

It was then that Gohan began to realize that Trunks hadn't spoken more than a few words since their training started in the morning. Even when Videl joined them, he allowed Gohan to do most of the coaxing and drilling. With a concerned stare, Gohan cleared his throat, trying to get the older boy's attention.

When Trunks opened his eyes, and leaned off the retired capsule corps ship. With a fluid turn, a familiar challenging smirk donned on his face as his cool blue eyes met Gohan's with an unexpected zeal that glistened within them, "Hey Gohan, its been awhile since we've properly sparred one on one. Care to take Videl for a ride and have her watch us go at it?"

"Huh?" Gohan blinked with surprise at this sudden urge to fight. They were training with Vegeta almost five hours straight in the Gravity Chamber and spent time teaching Videl to break through her limits. What brought this up?

"Well, how about it?" Trunks asked, furthering the issue as his eyes knitted into a frown as he crossed his muscular arms over his chest, "or has training this little tired you out already?"

"No, its not that," Gohan shook his head, briefly waving a hand in emphasis as he stood to his feet, analyzing the son of Vegeta's eyes as he inquired clearly, "its just something has been really off. Ever since the Tournament ended, it seemed you've been on more edge and you haven't been talking as much. I barely heard you even speak more than a sentence today-"

"Gohan, I'd love to have a shrink-talk another time, but I'm more interested in clearing the air," Trunks interrupted, as his glare met Gohan's eyes, "how much stronger I've become, and how strong, you are now."

An intense, awkward silence fell between the two. Ever since he had moved in with the Briefs, he had practically looked up to Trunks as an elder brother, someone to depend on and share his thoughts with. The fact that he was eager to test his mettle, and openly asked of it in a manner mirroring the attitude his father would do if he was facing him, or Goku.

Knowing he'd never find anything out unless he agreed, Gohan nodded to him, allowing an acknowledging grin cross his own face, "Yeah, sounds perfect. Its a lot more fun doing it when our lives aren't on the line anyways."

With a dark smile, Trunks' body became enraptured in a light white-blue aura, as he took to the air and waved to Gohan, "Follow me. I know the perfect spot to do this."

In an instant, Trunks took off like a rocket, flying high up into the atmosphere before flying straight north, leaving an erupting pocket of air to detonate in his wake as he picked up speed.

As Gohan squinted, his mind began to run calculations as to where Trunks could be headed. As the distance began to grow larger and larger, with Trunks not deviating from his movement straight north, his eyes closed and let out a sigh.

"What is it? Something wrong?" Videl asked, having regained her breath enough to allow her piqued curiosity to show. Standing up to her feet, she looked at the mutually aged teenager as he rubbed his chin in thought, "where does he want to fight?"

"Yeah, its probably best this way," Gohan spoke to no one in particular, earning a look of perplexity on Videl's face. As he shifted his gaze to her, he motioned her to hop onto his back, saying, "I'll make sure that you'r protected and warmed up when we arrive, but I don't want to keep Trunks waiting. With the mood he's in, I'm a bit worried he might do something irrational."

"Uh, okay," Videl spoke with slight hesitation, as she walked up to the slender and defined body of Gohan and wrapped her arms around his neck, with her legs around his waist. Unbeknownst to both, they sported a mutual blush of slight apprehension and embarrassment at the budding feelings building within their chests.

Shaking his head, Gohan enraptured an aura that engulfed Videl warmly, as he shot up into the air with a sudden burst and crackling sonic boom, as he followed Trunks to his chosen battleground.

If this is a sparring session, why couldn't he shake the feeling there was something more to Trunks' request than a simple exchange of fists?

* * *

**RA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA!** "Eat lead, fuzz!" Launch cried out, as she unloaded dozens of rounds per second from her large machine gun. The violent, ear-breaking shots sprayed an orange flame from the large muzzle, as tracer rounds mixed with visibly large slugs struck the incoming blaring vehicles straight onto their reinforced windshields and armored plating. Bullets rained atop the swerving topless jeep, as Launch continued to lay aggressive fire to deter the police chargers from making any more proximity to her and the loot.

They had been maneuvering in and out of traffic, going across sidewalks, and even through a construction zone to lose as many of their pursuers as possible. Despite how crazy driving Maron had been employing, they all seemed to be in one piece. Her blue hair flew to and fro, but still miraculously maintained a dreamy smooth shine to it, matching her red tank top and low cut jean shorts for their latest masquerade. She was glad that she could aid her friend in driving the getaway vehicle as well as she had.

To their chagrin, however, the Police was as tenacious as they were stubborn of pulling over.

However, a third passenger, had a different attitude towards this whole debacle of a situation. Swathed in a sleeveless white muscle shirt and a pair of blue jeans, with white tennis shoes . Despite all the crazy turns, bumps, and loud sounds occurring around him, the black shades remained on his scarred face, as he chewed a toothpick in his mouth to sate his irate disposition. A black, shoulder-studded jacket hung over his back, as he had his arms crossed over his chest, with his feet leaning on the folded passenger seat in front of him.

The scar-faced bandit finally shouted after the next turn, finally fed up with the situation at hand, "You know, when you told me that you and Maron wanted me to accompany you out on a date, this isn't exactly what I had in mind!"

"But this IS a good date, Yamcha!" Maron tried to emphasize by flashing a bright smile at Yamcha, as she jerked the jeep to and fro across the lanes of traffic-filled streets to evade the remaining cruisers hot on their trail.

"Robbing a Casino is one thing. Blatantly getting caught and having bullets pepper towards me isn't what I had in mind for a date," Yamcha rolled his eyes behind his shades, drawing a hand up to facepalm with exasperation, "I swear, as long as you hang out with Launch, all things go to Hell that is normalcy."

"If you wanted to be normal, you wouldn't be here, now would you?!" Launch retorted, as she finished the enormous clip on her gun, clicking it with frustration before throwing it at a cruiser, causing it to clang and shatter before being tossed, "that's it! I'm out of guns and out of ammo! Will you NOW lend a hand?!"

Yamcha sighed.

While he thoroughly enjoyed the company of his newfound girlfriend, he could do without the company of Tien's. He seriously thought she was extorting her gullibility to her own benefit for any diabolical scheme she had up her sleeves. And yet, something in his gut brought out the old Scar-faced bandit within him, back when before he met Goku. Something about the thrill of the chase and the hunt made him feel very young again, and feel very badass.

With this change of disposition, Yamcha raised his right hand up a hand, almost in comical emphasis towards Launch. Then, he summoned an orange sphere of energy within the palm of his hand, about the size of a tennis ball. With a nonchalant backwards toss, the ball sped towards the armored pursuing vehicles. Without even batting an eye to see, Yamcha began to move his hand in a series of blurring gestures, too fast for Launch or Maron to see, causing the ball to split into a dozen directions, and slam into the police cruisers with incredible force.

Before a few seconds had gone by, all of their police pursuers, piling up ontop of each other overturned or crashed into each other in a lopsided manner, as the jeep sped away to the city limits.

"Oh, Yammy-poo! That was incredible!" Maron spoke in a giddy tone, smiling back at Yamcha as she drove out of the city and towards the horizon.

"Yeah, babe," Yamcha chuckled to himself, flicking the toothpick in his mouth with a toothy grin, gleaming with cockiness, "I am awesome."

"If you're done gloating, we got to haul ass!" Launch chided Yamcha with a sigh, as she turned to sit down on the jeep seat.

Maron, however, batted her eyes with confusion, as her head turned to the side as she stared dumbly at Launch, "Are we going to steal donkeys now?"

With a dramatic sigh, Launch facepalmed with both of her hands, shaking her head, "What am I going to do with you, Maron?"

"Well, you could always treat me out for fast food? I'd love to get a bite to eat after all that excitement-EEP!" Maron started to ramble, before her face realigned to look where she was driving, causing her to squeal in terror. Slamming on the brakes, causing Launch to nearly slam her face into the back of her seat, and constricted Yamcha from the seatbelt that had been loosely tied around his waist.

When they came to a screeching halt, all three of them caught the sight of two bald men, standing with their hands on their hips or across the chests respectively. Tien, donned in his usual green martial art gear, along with Krillin in his orange gi. While Krillin sported a knowing smirk, Tien bore an irritated and assuming twitch as he saw the three that had halted but a few meters away from them.

Tien sighed, speaking dryly as unfolded his arms from over his massive bare chest, "You know, Launch, when you said you were spending time doing girly things, I didn't think you'd rope in Yamcha to do your dirty work."

"Right on time" Yamcha muttered with a hidden smirk, as he unbuckled and stepped out of the car, his black jacket flourishing around him as he ditched his shades in the car, before approaching Tien and Krillin, "I knew it was only a matter of time till one or both of you come and stop another of Launch's rampages. Is that why you're here?"

"Dende informed us that you were at the center of a lot of trouble," Krillin spoke with a humored tone, but cleared his voice, waving his arms in emphasis of the seriousness to the situation, "but honestly, were you starving attention THIS badly that you would get in trouble with the authorities?"

"Hardly," Yamcha chuckled, grasping the jacket on his shoulders and throwing it towards the jeep, revealing a sheathed sword on his left hip, having been concealed by the black leather folds of his nonchalant article of clothing, "I knew you'd show up on the outskirts so you could handle this your way, without attracting the press' attention. That's why I lured you two out here..."

"Lured?" Launch inquired from behind Yamcha. With sudden realization, Launch yelled at the Scar-faced bandit with an enraged look on her face, "you mean you came only to use our plan to lure THEM out, knowingly?!"

"Sorry, but it was kind of your fault for picking such a blatantly obvious target, Launch. Also, I did it to keep Maron from getting hurt, but enough about that," Yamcha spoke from over his shoulder, before he fixated a smile at Tien and Krillin, as he grasped the hilt of his sword, thumbing it out of the sheathe as he glared with a challenging look at Krillin and Tien, "its time we have ourselves a bit of a rematch, Krillin. Tien."

"B-Both of us?!" Krillin gaped at the inclination that his friend had, as he began to unsheathe his sword with a very serious glint in his eyes.

"Uh, Yamcha, I know you must feel bad at losing the Tournament in the first round, but we really shouldn't be doing this," Tien raised his hands, trying to calm the scar-faced bandit down.

"Enough talking!" Yamcha swung his blade to the side, its crescent shape and design familiar to him from his young days as a legitimate bandit, "I want to see which of us is the strongest! Whether its you, or Krillin, or me, I want it decided outside of a Tournament ring!"

Tien exchanged a glance with Krillin. They knew they couldn't get out of this, now that they riled up Yamcha, with sword drawn no less. The visible emphasis of the sword drawn was clear enough how serious he was in fighting them both, even if it was a bit ambitious.

"Alright," Tien slid his feet into his classic Crane Style stance, hooking his forefingers out towards Yamcha. Despite the circumstances, Tien couldn't help but hold a smile of anticipation on his face, having not fought his comrade seriously since the 22nd Martial Arts Tournament.

Krillin on the other hand, felt a bit of nervousness crawl up his spine. He never saw Yamcha act so seriously, not even during their fight in the Tournament. Krillin had to admit if it came down to a contest of close quarters and endurance, Yamcha could have gotten the upper hand. But now, were these past three months any different from the year that he spent with them?

As Yamcha leaped towards them, he began to understand why Yamcha wanted this battle more than anything. This was a test of his own resolve to push forward, as much as it was a rematch against the two human warriors who bested him in the past.

The bald dwarf could only hope they wouldn't take things too far...

* * *

It only took less than a half hour, surprisingly, to Videl, to reach their destination.

They flew over cities, small outposts, mountain peaks, and entire valleys filled with prairie grass. Throughout it all, Videl couldn't help but gape at the wondrous view she had from Gohan's flying backside. It felt as if she had a hint of freedom she couldn't imagine, flying without any form of metal contraption holding her tight and secure. The moment she flew was almost as fulfilling and majestic as compared to be being bathed in the gentle, warm aura that Gohan kept bathing the both of them as they flew north.

However, it was blissfully short ride, as they soon came upon the polar ice caps of the North Pole. Videl was thankful that she was riding with Gohan, cause she knew she would've felt the blistering winds that blew past them at the altitude they flew at. It wouldn't take her or Gohan long for them to spot Trunks, having chosen to land at a wide cap of ice that was walled off in a semi-circle of icebergs, while the rest was open to a shattered, ice-covered ocean of Artic water.

"Hey, Videl," Gohan stopped his movement to a crawl, as he spoke quietly, "I want you to stay away from the fight Trunks and I are going to have. Its going to be rough, and I can't guarantee we're going to hold back enough for you not to be hit by-"

"Yeah, I get you," Videl spoke in an annoyed tone, wanting to watch the fight already that was about to unfold. She knew it would eclipse any of the fight she watched from the lousy protection of a viewing box and a large TV screen. But one still concerned her, one she wasn't hesitant in asking Gohan, "but how am I not suppose to catch hypothermia by sitting still? I'm seriously too exhausted for me to even try and use my own Ki to warm by body..."

"Then take some of mine," Gohan spoke with a smile, as he slipped out of Videl's hold long enough to hold both of her hands. While she momentarily yelped with shock, what came next silenced her surprise. She was flying, but she wasn't doing it out of will. Looking across, she saw Gohan holding her hands while embroiled in a bright aura of blue-white energy, funneling a good portion of it into Videl's body, using her entwined hands as a medium.

Videl was shocked. She had never felt so...warm...or lack of a better term, powerful. An aura of blue-white energy coated her, causing her pigtails to flourish in sync with her clothing, bristling with controlled intensity. She knew it would wear off within time, but she knew now that all previous exhaustion she had melted away, as well as the slight chill she would've had should she had kept unprotected against the fierce elements.

"Its not much, but I'm pretty sure it will be enough to protect you from the shockwaves and the elements. You're quick enough to get out of the way should things get out of the way with ease," Gohan spoke with a sincere smile of confidence in Videl, as he let his hands go of hers. His aura died down, and waved to her briefly, before he rocketed down to the surface where his waiting opponent stood.

"Good luck, Gohan," Videl spoke softly, as an anticipating smile crossed her lips, as she lowered herself a good five hundred meters. The elevation gave her a perfect view while also not being entirely too close to their battle. Gohan was probably exaggerating about there being an intense battle, right?

As Gohan landed with a soft tap, Trunks unfolded his arms, as he acknowledged Gohan's arrival, "Took you long enough."

"Sorry," Gohan apologized meekly, scratching the back of his head as he smiled at Trunks, "it just occurred to me that we actually never had a real battle before. So I was a little nervous on how I am to arrange my strategy in facing you. Hence my lateness."

"Heh," Trunks smirked, "well, at least you're still honest. Its something I always appreciated about you."

"And you've never hesitated in taking the time to be there for me, even through all the brutal training that your dad put us through," Gohan spoke with admittance. He smiling widely at the friendship he had continued to build with the future counterpart of Vegeta's son, "I couldn't have become as strong as I have without you, Trunks!"

With that, Trunks' smile dropped, and the eerily sense of seriousness came about him once again.

Sliding his feet back with his arms reared back, his body began charging up his power. He growled and ground his teeth against each other, as his muscles bulged, sporting protruding veins of physical effort. Within seconds, his eyes shifted from onyx to emerald, his hair from violet-silver to outstretched blonde, and his slender form expanded exponentially. With a final roar, he became engulfed in the aura of an Ascended Super Saiyan, cracking the entirety of the icy landscape, sending fissures of steam from the underlying boiling water that had been heated by his transformation.

Gohan followed suit, but did so with a lot more finite control. Stretching his fists out towards Trunks' direction, as if prepping an attack, he inhaled a deep breath, readying himself to plunge himself into the wellspring of incredible power lying deep within his core. Then, he pulled his arms back, releasing a sudden blast of golden energy that sent his forward bangs upwards along with the rest of his hair into spiky, crackling intensity. With a loud Kiai, his transformation into his Full-Powered Super Saiyan form shattered the rest of the ice-layered ground beneath them, sending the surface of the boiling water that simmered underneath to blast upwards in a large geyser of hot steam.

Videl yelped as the steam doused her, causing her hands to cover her eyes, fearing she would be scalded. But, just as Gohan promised, the aura held firm and was affected very little by the force of the super-heated moisture. As she lowered her hands to see what unfolded, she saw two golden aura-covered warriors, in the bodies of teenagers, staring down at each other as they hovered over the steaming Arctic water beneath their feet.

With a gulp of nervousness and anticipation, she knew that the battle about to be unfolded was going to be one worth watching every second.

* * *

"_1,000 Push-ups, 1,000 Squats, 1,000 Crunches, 1,000 Sit-ups, and 1,000 Knee-bends. Good, now to start on some punches and kicks,_" Vegeta mentally checked off, as he sat up into a squatted stance within the Gravity Chamber, bathed in his own Super Saiyan aura.

Deciding to leap to the Gravity Chamber the moment the "kids" were done hanging around. While he was curious why they decided to head so far away, Vegeta quite frankly didn't care. If they wanted to spend some time training away from him, it gave him all the more opportunity to improve himself while they weren't looking. Not like he tried hiding his level of strength, he just rather hide some of his reserved power in the event he wanted to challenge them in the near future.

After all, with no sign of declining desire for Tournaments by the public, he couldn't help but feel obligated to at least see what the 1st Class Tournament would be like, whenever it starts.

Looking at the controls from a few meters away, he noted the reading for it to be 900 times Earth's gravity. While it could be a tremendous burden for his base form, it was a nice bit of tension and restriction to push on his Super Saiyan form.

With a sigh, Vegeta began to fire off a flurry of punches in the air, feeling sweat bead down his muscular form. Clad only in his muscle t-shirt and slacks with his standard gloves and boots, Vegeta felt comfortable in continuing his routine for the next couple hours.

But something bothered him.

His eyes widened, as if he felt a sudden proximate signature of energy nearby. Slowly, he retracted his arms and stood upwards, he looked over at a nearby window to the outside. Walking slowly and purposely, his face finally reached the glass, allowing his eyes to squint at the outdoors. It was, strange, that he couldn't see a thing wrong outside, yet he felt a distinct sensation that something was out there. When he felt the powers of Trunks and Gohan spike off into the horizon in a similar direction, he closed his eyes and let out a breathy sigh of relief.

Turning his back, he muttered aloud, "Must have been my imagination..."

Little did Vegeta know, that his hardened stare was returned by a mysterious one.

* * *

"He...looked at me..." Spoke a tone of trepidation and bashfulness, coming from the other side of the Gravity Chamber.

Wrapped in a field of transparency, making the figure nigh invisible, perfectly cloaked and hovering but a meter away from the porthole window of the Gravity Chamber's exterior. What lied underneath the transparency was a young woman, blushing heatedly from the intense, captivating stare that the Prince of all Saiyans had locked onto her widened, shocked red irises. While deftly hidden, she had allowed a bit of unintentional Ki to leak out and had caused the man to be alarmed by it.

Thankfully, other forces diminished her presence entirely, allowing her to keep watching uninterrupted. At least, for a few moments...

"_Sky, report!_" The familiar voice of Trench rang in her ear.

Backing away from the bubble shaped machine, the said agent Sky began to relay her report, albeit impatiently, "WHAT?! I'M BUSY HERE!"

"_You are viewing the target of interest instead of gazing at the clouds, aren't you, Sky?_" Trench questioned over the line with dubiousness.

"Uh...yes...um...no, I..." Sky stammered, twiddling her fingers in trying to think of a way to respond.

A third voice broke in, however, speaking in a sporadic tone, "_Maybe she's trying to figure out a way to be watching the target AND be cloud gazing! Or...wait, what if she IS doing both?!_"

"Alright Void and Trench, what do you jerks want!" Sky huffed with impatience and irritation.

"_In case you two haven't caught wind of any interesting, I wanted to inform you that the two power fluxes due North originated in the North Pole. I'm currently watching the targets of interest, Trunks Briefs and Son Gohan, preform a manner of sparring. Apparently they are letting off stream, both figuratively and literally,_" Trench relayed audibly.

"_You don't say! Well I'm watching this Yamcha-dude taking on the two bald guys with a sword! Its actually quite entertaining, I'm pretty sure he's using the dwarf like a bowling ball to hit the bowling pin try-clops guy. Anyways, its fun as Hell here! Maybe not for the guys getting beaten up, but moreover for me watching, hehe!_" Void responded ecstatically.

"_Probably some sort of grudge match or another mutual sparring session to work off nerves. Keep tabs on them and see what changes might come up. In the meantime I'll make sure to log down anything with the two Super Saiyans here,_" Trench spoke with finality, the smooth composed tone.

"Right! And I'll make sure to stay here and survey this gorgeous hunk sweat bullets in his training room!" Sky squealed with delight. It then just occurred to her that an awkward silence just ensued, causing her to whisper in the comm, "did I say that out loud?"

"_If it wasn't, then I must have the unfortunate ability to read your mind...no wonder I'm often left in a state of boredom, HAHAHAHAHA!_" Void cackled ecstatically on the other line.

_"_Oh shut up, Void, Void, and most certainly you, Void!" Sky retorted with a irritated tone, pouting her lips as she spoke.

"_She actually got it right for once...NO! Shut up you, that was totally rude...even if it did sound well put, NO! You're not in this conversa-KRK!_" Void began to rant, before being abruptly cut off the comm link, forcefully, by Trench.

"_Don't lose sight of the true purpose of your objective, Sky. You were tasked specifically because your specialty of close-quarters reconnaissance and infiltration. Remember why the Inner Circle deemed you suitable for watching a perceptive individual such as Vegeta,_" Trench spoke in a firm tone, trying to instill the objective into his air-headed squad member.

"Are...are you sure we can't try to make him join us?" Sky began to inquire, sounding a bit hesitant at first, but continued to press the issue, "He's really strong a-a-and if someone like _the Voids_ can join us, why not him?"

"_If you had done your homework of his background like I told you to, Sky, then you would already know the answer to that question,_" Trench spoke in a smooth, slightly annoyed tone, as he answered her, "_Vegeta is a narcissistic, ego-driven, independent Pure-blooded Saiyan, having been brought up as a child in royalty. It was a miracle that he managed to find a reason to settle down, let alone feel a drive to protect the Earth. But joining an organization like us? Doubtful. Even if he were, he'd only do so in hopes of destroying us all entirely. He's not one to be trusted with this kind work that we do. You'd do well to remember that, Sky._"

"Yes, Trench. I...understand. Sky, out," Sky cut the link, sighing in aftermath as she did so. Floating back over to stare into the Gravity Chamber's interior, she saw Vegeta still throwing a vast array of complex punches and kicks, each of them with incredible speed and power.

With a smile, she nodded her head with her next response, as she stared at the Saiyan prince, "He sure is strong, though..."

* * *

"Wow, look at them go! Its like they're doing ballet...with fists and swords, that is, nyahaha!" Void shouted aloud, being a good half mile away from the current brawl happening on the outskirts of town, practically abandoned at this point with all the chaos that had ensued within the city.

The Inner Circle agent in question, Void, was currently seated on the edge of a rooftop, resting his body within the shadows on a folding chair. Using binoculars to get a clear view, while relying on senses to understand what was happening, Void had the perfect perch to rely on in order to follow the movements and the ongoing battle.

"_You know, it might be a good idea to take memos and jot down notes. After all, we are supposed to observe any changes in behavior, as well as changes in battle power,_" A voice of his own rattled within his mind, seeming to be one of reason and understanding.

"**OR we could totally go in there and BEAT their asses! It wouldn't be hard, would it?!**" Another voice crowed with an insane glee to it, being more high pitched and unstable.

But when Void spoke, he spoke aloud to the other two voices in his head as he watched the battle occurring in the distance, "Nah, then Trench would chew my ass. And when I mean MY ass, it would be YOUR asses too, dumbasses! After all, its not really interesting to go in and fight guys of a low caliber..."

"_Didn't you read the report on these guys? They showed considerable strength during the Tournament, beyond the levels they had previously displayed in the past. We shouldn't think lightly of them..._"

"**Or, we can completely ignore them and just stare off into empty space...wait, that's freaking boring! Maybe we really are reading Sky's mind?!**"

"Just pipe down, I'm trying to watch the fight!" Void spoke as he zoomed out his binoculars enough to get a considerable view of the three combatants.

* * *

For Tien, it was an incredibly difficult battle. He had no idea that Yamcha could use swords this well, nor knew him rely on it so well. Not once had he used his spare hand or feet other than to maneuver or grapple him to give the larger man a good throw. Sporting a good few scratches, he rationalized that Yamcha hadn't been skilled enough to make his sword do real damage, otherwise he would find deep gashes all across his body, instead of the scathing bruises and marks peppering his muscular tank of a form.

Respectively, Tien found himself with a few light gashes and bruises, unable to fully adapt to Yamcha's new strategy fully. Even though they were just warming up, he failed at trying to even make a dent in the sword, blade or hilt. It looked like something he worked on himself, or had replicated specially from his early days. He knew if he tried to use energy to break it, Yamcha would heighten the blade's edge indefinitely, making it a no-win situation.

Raising his blade while exercising good posture, Yamcha smiled confidently towards his two comrades, finally feeling as if he had a defining edge over the two of them. Even if it wasn't martial arts, it was clear that Tien and Krillin had little to no experience against weapon users. The material he had forged was specially crafted to withstand incredible pressure, further enhanced by using his energy.

"Ready to give up yet, guys?" Yamcha asked with a smirk on his face, raising his blade to bear on the two human warriors, causing its edge to glimmer fantastically from the High Noon's sunlight.

"You kidding me? At this level, these injuries could pile on. At the very least, they're becoming very annoying!" Krillin spoke incredulously, before launching himself in a series of high sped dashes, intending on outflanking Yamcha and catching him outside his sword's reach.

Yamcha countered a forward thrusting punch by backpedaling, then returning back forward with his sword held back. When it swung down, Krillin almost confused it to be the paw of an enormous wolf, enrapturing Yamcha, summoned by his own Will.

"**Wolf Claw!**" Yamcha shouted out as his blade came down, simultaneously slashing Krillin's durable chest three times, causing him to skid back from the force of the impacts.

"Augh, dang it! I can't seem to touch him with that sword extending his reach farther than mine," Krillin grimaced, as he felt his heels skid a good few meters, causing him to wince at the force of the impacts. He looked up and saw a brief glimmer of seriousness in Yamcha's eyes, before it disappeared with a cheerful one. Baffled by this, Krillin couldn't bring himself to counterattack, not without having a game plan that worked other than powering up.

"Keep it up, Yammy-poo!" Maron shouted with a cheery tone, waving at Yamcha with a smile that the Scar-faced bandit returned with a twinkling grin.

This sparked a furious outburst from the blonde friend to her left, now occupying the passenger seat with her.

"TIEN! I swear that I will beat you to the ground if you lose!" Launch shouts from the jeep, having partaken unwittingly in being on the sidelines. Watching the fight ate her up, and caused her to grind her molars together in frustration at seeing Tien being backhanded so casually by Yamcha of all people, "weren't you the one who broke his leg?! What happened to being a superior fighter than him, huh?!"

"I know, I know already!" Tien shouted back at Launch, trying to quell his girlfriend's impatience. Settling down into his stance, he observed how hesitant Krillin was in continuing. He knew this was far from a power battle, but the sparring was certainly intense, even for them. As all three of his eyes settled onto Yamcha's form, he saw it switch to a passive one, with both hands holding the handle, awaiting Tien's next move.

"Alright, Yamcha, let's see how you like this!" Tien announced, as he crossed his arms in front of himself. Within a few seconds, Tien began to divide into five bodies, one main one and the four others being identical to himself. With a collective chuckle, Tien braced himself for a brief moment, before rushing forth at Yamcha with a plan already in mind.

Yamcha's eyes glowed blue, as his body suddenly engulfed with vibrant Ki, an instant before Tien's bodies reached the halfway mark.

"Kaio-ken...TIMES FI-!" Tien began to say, before his collective gaze caught sight of Yamcha's dashing form. Seemingly flying towards them, the Scar-faced swordsman began projecting a visage of a hungry pack of wolves, all of them leaping at each of the clones at once. This left Tien at a loss for words as he began igniting his Kaio-ken across each body a fraction of a second too late.

"**Wolf Pack Barrage!**" Yamcha howled out, as he landed behind Tien. Upon his feet touching the ground, it seemed his body had accelerated fast enough to strike each of the bodies Tien had, including his real one.

Tien felt himself get up with an additional series of angry welts mark his chest and shoulders, as his copies dispersed into energy, leaving him alone and frustrated at himself. When did Yamcha get so good at fighting, let alone swordsmanship?!

Then, Yamcha did something neither of them suspected.

With a deliberate sigh, Yamcha turned to regard each of his opponents, before stabbing his sword into the ground. With himself disarmed, Yamcha turned to stand before his two friends with his fists clenched, smiling as he declared, "Alright, enough messing around! Time to get serious!"

Almost falling onto his face, Krillin, stumbled forth and looked at his friend incredulously, "What?! What do you mean you weren't fighting seriously?!"

"Exactly what it sounds like," Yamcha spoke seriously, cracking his knuckles as he rolled his neck back side to side, "you didn't think I'd use a sword to fight you guys for real? You'd both get hurt pretty bad..."

"Okay, this is a new low, even for us," Tien quipped dryly, as he twitched irritably at the realization of the fact Yamcha was legitimately stronger, sword or not, than the two of them combined.

"Yeah, imagine how I felt when I came back to the land of the living and was considered trash for the wayside?" Yamcha spoke back seriously, walking past Tien and Krillin to look to the horizon, just a few meters away from the jeep, "Imagine the helplessness I felt when you guys were still capable of helping the titans our friends and allies have become. I was fodder, less than significant. Then, Goku died, and he told us something that made everything clear," turning back he looked at Tien and Krillin equally, "Goku entrusted all of us to protect Earth, not just Vegeta or Gohan, but me as well. That's what led me to go train with you and enter the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, and keep picking myself up every time I fell. Its what's still driving me to move forward, even if I'm considered low and inept in growth as you guys are."

"Well, when it comes to building up energy, you aren't the best at it, Yamcha. Its not a bad thing to be the weakest of the group, as long as you're participating," Krillin tried to reason with Yamcha, waving his hands in emphasis.

"I'm a martial artist, Krillin, not a bystander. I don't appreciate being chided about my strength being lower than everyone else. It goes against my pride as a fighter, and the confidence I have established for years as a warrior. The fact that you were named a 2nd Class fighter along with Tien, isn't helping me be convinced that I needed to change either," Yamcha growled towards Krillin, holding up a fist in emphasis of his frustration of the treatment he was getting.

"Is that what this whole fight is about?! Is that why you decided to train so much?" Tien began to ask incredulously, before he shook his head, re-diverting the topic slightly, pointing his hand at the stabbed crescent sword in the ground, "How did you acquire the nerve to use swordsmanship this well in just three months, Yamcha?"

"Would you believe me if I told you that Maron over there is the one who taught me?" Yamcha asked with a sudden smile on his face, as he gestured to his cheerfully smiling girlfriend, sitting on her knees as she stared dreamily at her boyfriend.

"Ah, seriously, Yamcha, who taught you?" Krillin inquired, lightly chuckling at the thought of the ditsy girl who was friends with a bipolar girl had that kind of knowledge.

"Really, after all this time, you couldn't catch on?" Yamcha asked with curiosity, as he arched a brow. After he got a dumbfounded response, Yamcha grinned wryly, as he thumbed back towards Maron, "she's the reason why I'm as strong as I am these past three months. Launch may be a maniac with guns and committing heists, but Maron is crazy good when it comes to swords and everything swordsmanship."

"S-Seriously?!" Tien gawked at Yamcha, trying to fathom how a manipulated girl like Maron could ever be that strong. He blinked, only making brief contact with Launch, who just shrugged and rolled her eyes, telling him all he needed to know about the truth. Maron smiled innocently, not bothering on commenting as she kept staring at her muscular, handsome boyfriend, and kept thinking of what they'd do later today.

"It gave me the edge, and the desire to become stronger. Its the one thing that allowed me to attain a power far greater than what even King Kai taught us. The power to tap into the world around me, and make it an extension of myself, just as the sword became my own extension. I now...will become...the blade!" Yamcha spoke with dramatic flare, as he pulled his arms back, gritting his teeth as he began powering up.

As he did, Tien and Krillin's footing began to waver, as the whole ground began to shake, as a familiar sensation began to tingle from their skin while standing so closer to Yamcha. They couldn't put their finger what it was, but it almost felt like being proximate to a priming Spirit Bomb!

"GRRRRRRRR! NNNNNNNNNGH! HRRRRRRRRRRR!" Yamcha growled out, as his body ignited into a pure white aura, that began crackling with intense bio-electricity. It arced out fantastically, cracking the ground, but not indenting it, even as enormous pressure weighed within the atmosphere from Yamcha's growing power that seemed to climb higher and higher.

"W-What the heck is this?!" Launch shouting out, being at the center of the unveiling of such incredible power, something she never felt privileged to witness up close until now. Her eyes widened, and her hair billowed out along with Maron's.

"Ohhhhhh, he's glowing again!" Maron clapped her hands excitedly, excited to see Yamcha's light show in action and up close, even as the jeep buckled and skid back from the force of the rising power surge.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Yamcha roared out, his body becoming fully covered with a white light, as the sound of a wolf howling in excess of the shockwave shook the air and pushed Tien and Krillin back a good dozen meters from the burst of light.

Within the aftermath, Tien's eyes winced and twitched with shock and awe, never before feeling such strength from Yamcha before, nor ever imagining it!

"Hey...Tien," Krillin quivered out, as he shook under the weight of such enormous power being projected from their Scar-faced Bandit.

"Yeah?" Tien responded to his mutually bald friend without batting an eye to his direction.

"You saw that, didn't you?!" Krillin asked incredulously.

"I FELT that, Krillin!" Tien responded dryly, trying to get over the enormity of the situation at hand.

As Yamcha was at the epicenter of a brilliant arc of white aura of vibrant, thrumming energy as electricity coiled up and about his body. He couldn't help but smile as he spoke aloud in a calm, confident manner, "This is my personal technique, **Okami-ken**. Want to test its limits on me, Krillin, Tien?"

* * *

**A few minutes ago...**

Trench observed the ensuing Super Saiyan battle from his spot on a distant iceberg peak. Standing perfectly erect, Trench's dark enraptured being flourished within the high altitude induced winds, as glimmering red eyes were hidden by opaque black shades. With smooth combed hair flowing over the back of his scalp, giving him a butch flair to it, it matched perfectly with the fair complexion flowing down his handsome, angular jawline and visage. Standing at nearly six feet tall, he was completely enraptured by a tall collared, black trench coat. With hands covered in black leather gloves, and black slacks and a shirt underneath, if anyone had been observant, they would see him as the black speck on a blue-white tower of ice.

But neither the Super Saiyans, nor the human girl observing their fight, would ever take notice what lied in the horizon. Their focuses were lying within the situation at hand, and the competition that gradually became more and more intense.

Reaching up to his ear, he had finished his debriefing just as the Super Saiyans began clashing head-on, making some last moment notes for later analyzing.

"Note: Targets of Interest, Son Gohan and Trunks Briefs, are currently in battle. At first, conflict could be seen as a bout of nostalgia and stress reliever. However, based on my analysis of the battle's ignition, it appears to be more of a battle of conviction. Personality shifts should be acknowledged post battle's end. Continuing analysis now..."

* * *

What Videl saw was amazing.

Trunks' fist meeting Gohan's caused the ocean to billow underneath them, and send a bristling shockwave that rattled the icebergs surrounding their chosen battlefield. The wind was so intense, Videl felt herself flung a good fifteen meters upwards from the impact site, as a brilliant flash of golden light elapsed over the entirety of a good mile.

Once she blinked through the blinding light, she already was losing track of them.

Through a flurry of super-sped movements, Trunks and Gohan moved much faster than what she could keep up with. Even bathed with the empowering aura of energy given by Gohan, she could barely see a shimmering flicker more than an instant of Gohan and Trunks trading fists and feet in their intense struggle. At times, she would be unintentionally right next to their rapid exchange of fists, as they punctured the air, and produced powerful thunderclaps in excess of their golden cracks of physical strikes parrying off each other.

This cacophony of overlapping blasts of light, expansions of pierced air pressure, and shimmering movements of superhuman speed seemed to go on for nearly a whole solid minute.

Then, one punch managed to connect...

**CRACK!** A right hook issued by Gohan into Trunks' chest, causing his body to lurch momentarily, before flowing back within the wake of a ballooning expansion of rippling air pressure. Even as Gohan began to pursue, however, he his hands were already making nearly a dozen hand gestures, intricately weaving Ki within his arms to form the plasma he desired.

"**BURNING ATTACK!**" Trunks shouted out, as a blazing ball of orange-yellow plasma launched from his hands, rushing towards Gohan's rapidly closing form.

With no way to properly evade the mutually swift ball of fiery energy, Gohan struck out his right hand and thrust out a discharge of Kiai from the palm of his hand. Causing the energy to distend and bounce slightly backwards, it allowed out him to swing his other hand to discharge a golden orb of Ki to bounce it towards the horizon, allowing it to explode within the distance magnificently.

The moment of respite and counter was all that Trunks desired.

Rebounding his rapidly flying body with a Kiai with his own, he ducked down beneath the repelling blast he had formed, and sped towards the space directly underneath his opponent. Within a discharge of golden energy around his body, Trunks grabbed Gohan's ankles and flew forth with such speed that they both shimmered out of view from their observer.

Reappearing instantly above a iceberg, Trunks flipped forward with incredible momentum, he struck Gohan's small backside on top of its peak, releasing him within the wake of the shattering construct of compressed and frozen water. The excess shockwave produced by the impact of young Super Saiyan striking the arctic water below, caused an immense blast of water to arise.

"I'm not finished yet!" Trunks spoke aloud with ruthless tenacity, as he sped his body down into the ocean below with a small blast of golden light meeting the water's surface.

Within seconds, a new crescendo of voluminous strikes occurred underneath the water. Each time a strike had connected, a golden flash of light shined underneath the arctic ocean, before geysers of steaming vapor blew up, with enough force to shatter the nearest proximate icebergs. Videl trembled at the sight of it, as the geysers and ballooning expansions of exploding moisture occurred rapidly, each one being farther than the last one, or happening within swift repetition and close clusters with each other.

As the blasts of moisture began to fall, lukewarm rain began to descend upon the open sky, lightly peppering the teenage girl's glowing skin. She couldn't help but shiver and gulp at seeing the enormity of such attacks happening around her.

**KRAK-WHOOSH!** Within an instant, both beings rocketed up out of the water within a pair of golden streaks. Painting the sky almost like a pair of yellow trailing comets, they finally halted a dozen meters behind Videl, allowing their auras to simmer to normalcy.

What Videl saw surprised her.

Despite being bathed in a protective light, it was clear they both had suffered battle damage while being underwater. Trunks' jacket had been torn and singed, while his shirt had been shredded to almost non-recognition, matching a few tears within his jeans. Blood dripped down his lip and off his chin, but apart from that, he only sported a few bruises and scrapes from the vibrant encounters he had with Gohan.

Likewise, Gohan's own mouth dribbled a faint trail of blood, as his body was pock-marked with tearing, bruises, and scrapes from the intense fight they were having. The intensity shared between their eyes and a pair of grim, concentrated stares projected back and forth. It clearly appeared as if the battle had taken a darker turn, and some underlying purpose was made within Trunks' challenge to Gohan.

Then, they all felt some mysterious and mind-numbing power build up in the distance.

Snapping out of their intense state of minds, Trunks and Gohan both looked south, knowing the signature well enough to distinguish who it came from. But the properties, and the height of which it escalated, surprised them like a meteor spawning within the sky.

"Wh-What is this I'm feeling?!" Videl asked, feeling all her nerves tingle, as if her body was becoming alight and connected to the source of escalating power.

"Wow...this is almost like what it felt to be near dad's Spirit Bomb!" Gohan remarked, his eyes twinkling with shock while his mouth opened with a smile, almost within congratulations.

"Seems like everyone's stepping up their A-game in order to catch up with us," Trunks remarks with a faint smile, before turning back to scowl with intensity towards Gohan, "seems like we still got a little bit of extra fight in both of us. Willing to take this up to the next notch?"

"Trunks, I don't think that we should-" Gohan began, before Trunks hands clapped together, signifying his moment to power up. Before Gohan could say anything, Trunks began to howl out with a borderline guttural cry, as his body began to forcefully expand in mass and height. Muscles began to bulge underneath his clothes, further ripping his shirt off and causing tears in his jeans, with a powerful climb of power and a crackling aura in his wake.

Seeing Videl being pushed back by the blistering winds Trunks' right flank was causing, he immediately turned his body to put himself in between her and Trunks' expanding aura. With a brief whisper to Videl to cover her ears, Gohan inhaled deeply, before a guttural scream emitted a loud Kiai as well, forming a frontal blast of expanding energy simultaneously as Trunks did.

Blasting away the violent ricochet of bio-electric tendrils with the massive force he exuded, Gohan's body sprung to life his own aura of crackling bio-electricity over his golden aura that thrummed powerfully. His hair standing more on end, and his body standing stalwartly in between Videl's shimmering light aura and Trunks' massive one, he glared towards Trunks with readiness.

"This won't end well, Trunks. Power down, or I'll make you," Gohan spoke with a commanding tone, not joking in the slightest about Trunks reckless surge of powering up so close to Videl.

"Can't do that, Gohan!" Trunks spoke with a glare focused on him, as he pointed a massive arm at his friend and surrogate brother, shouting out with resolve, "I have to know just how far I can push myself! I need to know...just how strong I am!"

With hesitance, Gohan stepped forward and held out his arms in readiness, knowing he couldn't hold back much against Trunks' massive power. He'd have to end this quick, whether Trunks wanted it or not...and get to the bottom of Trunks' motivation for this dangerous sparring game they created.

* * *

**KRAK-KOOM!** "**Continuous Kaio-ken!**" Tien and Krillin respectively shouted, igniting themselves to the point of where blazing auras of red light broke the ground beneath them, and sent massive pressurized gales of wind from their beings. They could comfortably raise their levels of strength and keep it for a good duration within this form of power, but they still felt they could go higher.

Contrastingly, while Krillin felt nothing but trepidation in facing Yamcha's new form of strength, Tien felt nothing but excitement. He was willing to spend a few days in the hospital if it meant if he could test his limits against this new Yamcha, and this so-called Okami-ken. Despite that, however, he felt an unnerving sensation being around him. It felt as if every sense of his tingled just being near him. He could only gather that Yamcha had been harnessing his energy from elsewhere, rather than force his body to bring it to the surface. Despite its appearance, he only felt tranquility emanating from him, rather than an aura of rage or controlled anger.

"Let's go guys! I don't got all day!" Yamcha spoke with readiness, placing one foot behind the other, while holding his fists in preparation of his friends imminent attack.

And with that, the two Kaio-ken users charged as one, leaving a trail of crimson light in their wake before their extended fists stretched out to hit Yamcha's body. However, to their surprise, they'd find themselves striking nothing but an afterimage, as the scar-faced bandit disappeared into thin air.

When Yamcha would reappear, his elbows would mutually reverse strike the two warriors's backsides, causing them to stumble head over heels across the ground and into a distant hillside. Within an explosion of earth, Krillin and Tien would look to each other with blatant disbelief. They couldn't even sense Yamcha's movements!

"W-WHAT THE HELL?!" Launch uttered aloud, feeling the shockwave comically spin the car, before Maron applied the emergency brake deftly, keeping them from flipping over on the grassy side of the road.

"It seems Yamcha has finally become the extension of his own Will," Maron spoke sagely, a rare moment that caused her blonde friend to stare at her in query, even as the blue haired girl smiled proudly towards Yamcha as he renewed his fight with his two opponents, "his Will to fight has finally been caught up by his body. He can now fight exactly how he feels."

When Yamcha was upon them, a flurry of fists and kicks were extended, dazzlingly raining a barrage of strikes that neither of the bald warriors could keep up with. Crackling energy sparked from each connection of one blazing aura enraptured fist, elbow, foot, or knee into the crimson fiery ones of the two contenders, now on the receiving end.

"**Wolf Fang Fist!**" Yamcha ended by striking them both in the midsections with palm heel strikes, blasting them with blazing blue energy within an excess of air-popping force, causing them both to bend over and spit out wads of saliva, as the breath left their lungs.

Tien and Krillin knew they had to turn this around, or they could very well be defeated before the fight even began. But even as the two of them moved their hands in a splayed position over their faces, they would find them grappled and plowed into the earth, diminishing the efficiency of the blinding light they were about to preform.

As Yamcha released their heads, he could already see bruises form from the small amount of time they've been battling and their Kaio-ken auras flickered despite how intently they tried to keep up their levels of power. Sadly, due to the large gap of power difference between the two of them in comparison to himself, it was clear that this wasn't a battle that they could fight on equal terms. Yet...

"Guys, let's be real here," Yamcha spoke lowly, as he relaxed his posture, but didn't let his guard down, his aura still crackling with intensity and brilliance as he smiled, "my power is as strong as Cell's at this point. And unlike Kaio-ken, I'm not weighedby such a shackled time limit. I know now at this point, even if you went to maximum, you'd only give me a hard time for a minute or two."

"Yeah...okay...sounds good," Krillin says with relief, almost immediately releasing the red aura around him, as he began to pant with his hands on his knees.

With more grace, Tien sighed a large exhale as his own aura of Kaio-ken died down. Truly, now that he thought about it, he rather just admit defeat now, than doing so later on the hospital bed. He'd rather be standing up to Launch's lecture, rather than taking it in bed. With a smile of acknowledgement, Tien placed his hands on his hips with a look of admonishing crossing his three eyes, as Yamcha disengaged his own aura of power.

"Gotta say, Yamcha. I never knew you could be this strong. I guess being motivated by a girl can bring the best out of you, huh?" Tien quipped with a smirk.

"Yeah, it certainly helps," Yamcha sighed with a smile, turning his gaze to see Maron's ecstatic smile as she waved back at him, while Launch exchanged a look of cross irritation come over her own visage.

Before they could call it a day, however, a brief voice tickled the back of their minds.

"_Well, sorry to disturb your session of masculinity, but I got to inform you something that might be of your interest,_" the voice of Piccolo spoke gratingly, almost as if he had been dealing with a big headache on his hands.

"_Wait, Piccolo?!_" Krillin's voice came from his mind, as he recognized the experience sans Goku's farewell, "what's going on?"

"_Well, to tell you the truth, I had been trying to ignore a sound that would make a tortured cat sound appealing, but I guess I can't do that any longer,_" Piccolo spoke sarcastically, before saying with finality, "apparently, Chi-Chi's gone into labor."

"Chi-Chi's in labor already?!" Yamcha's voice came aloud, briefly forgetting his thoughts mirrored his own voice, "_I thought she wasn't going to be due for another couple weeks!_"

"_Well, honestly it could have been at any day from what I've been told, but it happened today because some bright genius decided to power up using energy like the Spirit Bomb. You know, the kind of energy everybody can feel and respond to?_" Piccolo spoke with a dry tone of knowing, clearly addressing Yamcha.

"_Wait...so you're saying its my fault its happening now?! That's unfair!_" Yamcha ground his fingers into his palms with frustration and anger, waving them up in the air in emphasis, as he retorted back, "_Weren't you impressed by my new technique?!_"

"_Oh yeah. I was so impressed, I couldn't stop myself from laughing for a solid five minutes,_" Piccolo spoke with a wry tone, causing Yamcha to writhe in further tormented frustration. Piccolo continued regardless, "_anyways, I've already informed Gohan and Trunks about it as well. They're going to be a little later, considering where they are now. Expect Bulma and the Kid Trunks to be late, but Vegeta to be there timely._"

"_Wait, why would Vegeta bother coming to something as annoying as childbirth?_" Tien spoke with confusion, trying to wrap around his head what purpose he would have in being there.

"_Goku said he'd come visit during his 2nd child's first birthday. You could say this is more of a update on Goku's plans in approximately when he should be back among the living. So, its probably within Vegeta's interest to be there, for whatever reasoning he might have in meeting Goku,_" Piccolo reasoned.

"_Sounds fair enough, I guess,_" Tien spoke with acknowledgement.

"_I'm already on my way over to her place. There aren't any doctors around and my knowledge in childbirth is basically what you'd think. I'll be there for support until then, but don't expect any expertise in medicine coming from me,_" Piccolo spoke with finality, before his mental link cut out, "_see you guys there..._"

"Right," Krillin spoke aloud, putting his hands on his hips, before looking to Tien with a quick nod, "let's get there quick! I can't wait to see Goku!"

"Me too, but," Tien spoke with hesitation, seeing Launch and Maron walk out, the prior holding a large backpack stuffed with the money she had stolen, while the latter just came by herself, "it seems we're going to have a few additional passengers. Why don't we see you when we can catch up."

"Ah, alright," Krillin nodded, a brief aura of blue-white energy wrapping around his body, before he shot up into the air within a thunderclap motion, disappearing within a wink into the horizon.

"You know, something that doesn't change, no matter how much stronger I get," Yamcha spoke aloud, as he bent himself over to have Maron crawl up his back and wrap her arms around his neck, as he began to ascend, with Tien doing the same, "it still seems I have to submit to women, whether I like it or not."

"Believe me, Yamcha, it never goes away," Tien spoke sympathetically, as the two rose up into the air, with both girlfriends in tow, before igniting their own auras as they flew off into the horizon, leaving the outskirts and the used jeep far behind.

* * *

"Trunks, we have to go," Gohan spoke firmly, his aura bristling hotly without a single additional scratch on his person, as his eyes stared his friend's down without wavering, "power down now!"

Trunks, wasn't in the best of shape. Videl could tell from the distance that he was struggling to keep his level of strength up, as diminished as it was, from the beatings he took. Upon closer inspection, she saw that his body had been bruised, warped, and bloodied from the severe strikes he had received from Gohan's fierce and repetitively faster and much stronger attacks. To his credit, he had managed to absorb a lot of the initial damage and return a few swift counterattacks, but in the end, he couldn't keep up with Gohan's swift speed and powerful rebuttals.

In the end, after all he gave, he was utterly beaten.

"Fine...you win..._this_ time," Trunks spoke with resignation, as his body's muscular disposition began to wane, before it returned swiftly to his natural state.

Gohan, doing so likewise, smiled with relief, as he looked over at Videl with gladness at the news he had heard from Piccolo, "We better hurry, Videl."

"Right," Videl said with a smile, ready to leave the cold arctic air and get back south.

Within a few moments, Gohan and Videl blasted off into the horizon, shortly joined by Trunks as he followed them back to the Son residence.

* * *

**An hour later...**

The whole gang had assembled at Chi-Chi's house. Piccolo, Tien, Yamcha, Krillin, Gohan, and Videl as well. Despite Chi-Chi's cries of agony, they all remained close at hand or nearby, all with the exception of Vegeta waiting outside of the house. He had no desire being so proximate to the woman's screams, nor the desire to witness the birth of her child.

He was focused on one thing and one thing alone: To see Goku and how strong he has become. That, and he was also waiting for his wife to arrive, having to take the long route to pick up the residents of Kame House to come see the child. He didn't expect her to show up until much later, but he waited none-the-less for both groups.

It almost looked like he wasn't going to show, until a familiar whooshing sound was heard overhead of the house, causing Vegeta's head to look upwards.

"Ah! Got here! Simple enough," Goku spoke with a smile of relief. Hearing the familiar cries of his wife down below, his ears already ached at the sound of her labor-induced suffering. One thing, however, caused him to pause. Looking over, he saw the clenching form of a thoroughly shocked Aosai, clinging to his side with a frightened look in her eyes, "Aosai! Oh, I'm so sorry! I forgot you were touching me when I was using Instant Transmission...!"

"I'm...outside...Other Space?!" Aosai gaped, as she felt the genuine warmth of Earth's sun bathe her body in its rays. The orange haired, blue skinned Champion of the Eastern Galaxy could only stand mesmerized at the atmosphere around her, so full of lush life and wonder, with cities just beyond the horizon. It reminded her of her old home, before she had passed away...

"Yeah, I guess you are, haha!" Goku chuckled lightheartedly, looking down to see Vegeta give him a very cross look, as he tapped his feet impatiently, "oh, sorry if we can't sight see at the moment, but we only got an hour, and I want to be there when my child is born. Want to accompany me?"

"You...want me to...watch your child's birth?" Aosai asked softly, as if suddenly realizing the predicament she placed herself in. Looking down at her attire, she knew that it would be inappropriate for such an occasion, even if it was casual for her culture. With a brief sigh, she allowed a golden light to encompass her, changing her into her Champion's attire, before engaging her eyes back to Goku's with a soft smile, "sure, I'd love to."

"Great!" Goku spoke with a enthusiastic smile, lowering his body swiftly along with Aosai's, gently touching the ground before Vegeta.

"You're late, Kakarot," Vegeta spoke tersely with a glare on his face.

"Ahaha, sorry! Time gets a little weird in Other World I guess," Goku said apologetically, scratching his head meekly.

"Tch," Vegeta rolled his eyes, thumbing towards the house where Goku's wife screamed even louder, "better hurry up and see your second runt get born. If it gets born..."

"What does that mean?" Goku asked with shock in his voice.

"Your wife doesn't have anyone experienced enough to surgically remove the child at hand. She refused to be moved, not wanting to have you search everywhere for her while she went into labor. All your earthling friends can't stomach the sight down, Bulma is still hours away from getting here, and the Namekian has clearly no knowledge of such a task. Quite frankly, it'll be a miracle if anyone will be there to help deliver-"

"I'll do it," Aosai spoke firmly, catching both Goku and Vegeta by surprise, "I have plenty of medical knowledge to treat most sapient life forms, including helping them give birth. It was one of my duties as an envoy during my days as a messenger of peace across the galaxy, before I became a warrior."

"Well, lead on then!" Goku spoke with urgency, a smile of renewed faith glistening within his eyes, causing the Herasian to blush for a moment.

As the two rushed into the house, brief cries of joy and remembrance by the friends of old seeing their friend were only brought short as a blue-skinned, orange haired beauty walked into the house past them all.

"Who is she?" Krillin asked with a sudden dumb smile, blushing heatedly as he saw the voluptuous and tall woman walk towards Chi-Chi's room.

"Dunno, but she looks like she's from the same race as Bojack and his gang," Tien spoke with hesitancy.

"I'm pretty sure Goku wouldn't bring her here if she wasn't a friend," Trunks spoke with reassurance.

"Yeah, hopefully that's all they are," Gohan muttered as he saw the woman walk in and shut the door behind her, with Goku in tow.

The next few minutes were the loudest that the group had heard. Having never been present for Bulma's childbirth, none of them had ever felt the helplessness and despair of being so close to a woman screaming so loudly, being unable to help her in the least. The screams almost shook the house they were so high in pitch and volume.

Then, within a minute, Chi-Chi's cries down only to be replaced by a child's wailing. This brought smiles to all those who came, even Piccolo sighed in relief. As the door opened, a weary Aosai smiled, and beckoned the group to come in.

As they all filed in, they saw a beautiful child swathed in white cloth, held in Chi-Chi's arms, with Goku smiling with tears in his eyes. It was a beautiful moment, for both Chi-Chi and Goku, as they were able to share this moment despite recent circumstances.

"Go ahead and name it," Chi-Chi whispered tiredly, smiling up at Goku, as she handed the blubbering child up into his arms, "and introduce our child to our friends."

Goku felt honored to have been privileged to name his second child. As he grabbed a hold of his child, cradling in his arms, Goku turned to introduce his second offpsring to the others, with pride and joy in his voice, "Hello everyone, nice to be back. I'd like you all to meet, Goten, " Goku spoke with a fondness in his tone, as he remembered where he was but a little while ago, striking a chord of emotion with Aosai, as he finished introduction to the rest of his friends, "my daughter."

* * *

**A/N**: _Whew! I feel like life sometimes TRIES to keep me from posting at the times I want, and always interrupts me when its inconvenient. Regardless, I wrote a very nicely sized chapter without making it too overbearing in mass and size. I may have rushed the end a little bit, but I'll get to everyone's reunion properly within the next Chapter._

_So, to cover the two big things of this chapter, I'll start off with Yamcha._

_Yamcha, in my mind, could have been used to be one of the most reliable allies, had Toriyama taken the effort to give substantial growth to him and his other human friends. By the time the Buu Saga was being wrapped up, there was a brief clip where Yamcha was suddenly INCREDIBLY strong. He was fighting guys like Olibu and another guy simultaneously, bragging about how the "place just changed him," without any real explanation how he got so skilled in a short amount of time. Let me clarify, that Canon Yamcha STOPPED training and honing his skills after the Cell Games. He didn't train at all, and had little to no drive to continue to do so because how far behind he was in comparison to his Super Saiyan friends. AND YET, within only a few days time of being dead, he suddenly is in top form LEAGUES beyond his original limitations. This wasn't funny, and it was kind of insulting how we were shown a strong Yamcha at the end of the series, rather than make him strong to begin within a gradual slope over time._

_This is where I came up with the idea when Goku left, Yamcha felt determined to catch up. With his rigorous training in normal time for half a year, and another half a year with Tien and Krillin, Yamcha had vastly improved his skills and power, mastering abilities that not even Goku could harness effectively at the prime of its use in the series. While Tien and Krillin have a higher power-up of Kaio-ken, Yamcha was shown in past chapters to have used it with greater control and longer use, without harming himself. His natural ability to charge a Spirit Bomb much more quickly was shown of this, but it also showed a loophole for him to take advantage of later on._

_Within the last several months that had elapsed, Yamcha had discovered the curious side of the Maron he had met is also an incredibly strong sword fighter. Like,_ **obsessed** _with everything and anything about swordsmanship. While she is socially ditsy like her Canon counterpart, she will be taking part as a useful asset to the Z Fighters team in the future. But I digress, this is how Yamcha managed to find that "edge" he needed in training, to excel past the points of training that worked for his allies and friends, but didn't work for himself. This mindset allowed him to master a technique he had founded within the passing of time that he was training his Kaio-ken and Spirit Bomb techniques:_** The Okami-ken**.

_Okami-ken is a personalized technique in which it harnesses the Life Energy around himself, and empowers him to a much greater extent than what Kaio-ken is capable of. A technique only he developed on his own, using the method of gathering Life Energy from the Spirit Bomb's employment, he finally mastered it within the final weeks of the three month time skip that had elapsed. Without any of the life threatening side affects of Kaio-ken, it will be the inspiration to the two bald martial artists to improve their own techniques and power, as well as prove to be Yamcha's ace in the hole from here on out. _

_That took a while, lol. Now we talk about Goten._

_Now, if you haven't read_ Other World Saga _already, I encourage you to, because how I use it to tie in events happening in the Afterlife with Goku. Goten is an actual location I use in the Heaven part of Other World, with a beautiful view of the vast landscape of all of Heaven's denizens and their own homes, while offering a beautiful place to gaze upon the rising and falling artificial moon and star that rotates around Other World._

_But I digress..._

_My intention for Goten being a GIRL (le gasp, this is madness!), is for her to be NOT the Goku clone that he was manufactured and intended by Toriyama to retire Goku to begin with. In that aspect, I will intend to break that mold and give Goten a true personality, one of which will have familiarity but also have a bit more interest and maturation as time passes. The dynamic of K-Trunks and Goten will not diminish, but rather, be strengthened by this change. I have great plans for Goten and K-Trunks, and I hope you can keep with this story, despite such a big change I'm putting into this story._

_**NOTE: Because of the piling reviews of people who haven't committed nearly any feedback until now, saying they'll stop reading because of Goten being a girl in my story, then I suggest any further viewers that read these cliffnotes DON'T leave any reviews telling me you're not continuing to read further. If that's all you have to say in your review, I'd appreciate you just PM me it, or don't leave any review or comment at all. I don't like having negative, useless feedback that doesn't help improve my story constructively or let me know thoughts of what changes you'd like to see.**_

_I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please leave reviews and comments to let me know what you thought of it. _

_Until then, I'll see you guys next week on the next exciting chapter of_ The Vegeta Chronicles!


	12. Dark Horizon

**UPDATE NOTE**: **Due to the recent Reviews being more about debating what my Q & A was trying to get across as a fun, informative skit, I have decided to remove the Q & A section at the end of the Chapter. I won't be doing any more future Q & A's to incite needless debates in Reviews, rather than the Reviews ACTUALLY talking about the Chapter itself. Unless people ask for this kind of session again, I won't bother making the sections, but I will be more inclined to answer questions via PM. **

With that being said, please, enjoy the Chapter :)

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**THE VEGETA CHRONICLES**

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**Chapter 12 - Dark Horizon**

* * *

There was much clamor at the announcement. Because of the birth of male babies from either Chi-Chi or Bulma, it was almost expected that Chi-Chi's next child would be a boy. Instead, they had a healthy, happy baby girl, cradling in her daddy's arms. Most of the crowd of present friends and family were in awe of the wonder of another child being born into the world.

Others, had different opinion of the matter.

"A-A girl?!" Yamcha cried out in surprise, clearly taken aback by revelation.

"Why does that surprise you?" Tien asked dryly, raising his right eye curiously.

"I don't know," Yamcha shrugged, frowning as he crossed his arms in thought, "for some reason, I swore that all of Goku's kids would be boys."

"What exactly does that mean?" Krillin asked in a bemusing tone.

"You know, since Goku's so masculine and since Chi-Chi's so short-tempered, I didn't think there was enough effeminate energy to make a girl, instead of the obvious boy," Yamcha rationalized with his chin stuck up and his eyes closed.

"Uh, Yamcha, that was a bad thing to say stuff like that-" Tien tried to warn his ignorant friend, for speaking so bluntly.

**WHAM!** Yamcha found his face being struck by a large frying pan, sending the dazed scar-faced bandit hurtling onto his backside, skidding across the room until his head wedged into the wall with a loud crash.

"-in front of Chi-Chi," Tien ended, as he shook his head, facepalming himself, dragging his hand down his face with an exaggerative sigh, "should have seen that one coming..."

Sweating bullets, Krillin looked over at the direction from where the projectile flew, "Yeah, you can say that again."

A too-sweetly smiling Chi-Chi twitched, arm still extended from the random pan she had at her side, "Just because I'm bedridden, Yamcha, doesn't mean I can't kick your ass for talking like that about my baby."

"Ahaha...why is there stars inside the room?" Yamcha goofily muttered, as Maron bent down by his side, wrenching his head out of the wall.

"Is my Yammy-poo alright?" Maron asked with wide, saucer-shaped eyes.

"Its okay, Maron," Yamcha rubbed his head, flashing her a winning smile, "it just took me by surprise, is all."

"Well, you always did have a hard head. Getting stronger just made you more dense too, haha!" Krillin joked.

"HA! Nice one!" Launch snickered at the comment Krillin made, causing her own boyfriend to smile as well.

"Oh, ha-ha! Laugh it up guys," Yamcha sighed as he stood up on his feet, dusting himself off.

As he continued to make small talk with the others, Gohan and Videl walked up to Goku. The two of them had bright smiles, as they saw the giggling baby smile up at her daddy, as Goku allowed her to take a hold of his right forefinger.

"She's so cute!" Videl gushed, holding her hands up near her face as she leaned towards the cheerful child.

"She looks a lot like mom, doesn't she?" Gohan asked his dad, looking up at him with a awe-inspired grin.

"I don't know, she kind of looks like her dad too," Videl furrowed her brows, looking back and forth from the baby's face to Goku's and then to Chi-Chi's, before looking back at the baby, "but with those bangs are all spiked up. Is that a genetic thing?"

"I guess so," Goku spoke honestly, giving her a shrug as he rocked his baby as she looked at Gohan and Videl with curious onyx eyes, "Gohan didn't really have my hairstyle, but it sure was a mess, even as a kid. I guess my family and where I come from, its not uncommon for us to not brush our hair or comb it down."

"Basically, the hairstyle you see is almost stuck for life, that is if you don't cut it or use bountiful amounts of hair gel," Gohan explained with a nervous chuckle, wincing at the memory he had with his mother before he boarded the ship to Namek. The half Saiyan was practically in tears by the time his rough, mangy hair had been combed into the style that his mother was delighted in, and much to his own dismay. He was glad that he was allowed to keep his new hairstyle within the last few years, knowing how much he loathed his own bowl cut he had as a child.

"How I envy you and your genetically inherited bed hair, Gohan," Videl snickered, causing the latter to roll his eyes at her joke.

After Goku chuckled along with them, he looked at Videl in particular, bearing a smile of recognition on his face, "So, you're the brave girl who leaped to Bulma's rescue, aren't you?"

Standing straight up with pride, she thumbed her chest with acknowledgement, "That's me. Sorry if I wasn't able to introduce myself. My name's Videl."

"Nice to meet you, Videl," Goku reached out a hand to shake Videl's, to which she shook his in return, "its nice to see a girl Gohan's age to hang out with. I bet it eases a lot of tension off him, huh?"

"What?! What do you...mean by...I'm not...we're not-!" Videl blushed bright red, as she tried to wave her arms in protest of the supposition.

"Dad, really?!" Gohan spoke aloud in a bashful tone as well, his cheeks bursting into a bright rose color as well, acting more meekly than the mutually aged girl next to him.

Throughout all of this, Goten giggled, finding the commotion amusing rather than disconcerting.

Thankfully, Chi-Chi had the right state of mind to interrupt, bringing up a valid question, "Goku, can you sense if Bulma and the others have arrived yet? Last time I checked they were late, and they may not get here in time to see you."

"No problem," Goku raised his right hand's forefinger and middle finger to tap his forehead, furrowing his brows in concentration as he sought out his tardy friends. Within but a few seconds, Goku smiled, and said, "found them! They're quite a bit of ways out though. I have an idea that'll save time though," waving his hand at his friends and family, he said in a second, "be back in a jiffy. Going to pick Bulma and the rest of the gang!"

Goku leaned down and handed the newborn child to Gohan, before standing straight up. Within an instant, Goku's body disappeared

* * *

Not all of the gathered were celebrating and gathering around the newborn child.

An unsettling awkward tension had been building within the shadows of the light that had been birthed into the world. As if there was several unknown agendas, lingering within the purpose of arrival, whether it was by choice or not, three particular entities were not there specifically for Goku's arrival or the birth of Goten.

That trio made their way out soon after witnessing the initial unveiling of the child's name and gender, before the social gathering began in full, animated swing. Aosai, the only other entity that came with Goku with a Halo over her head, held a solemn look on her face as she navigated to a far boulder, a good dozen meters away from Vegeta's tree he leaned against impatiently with eyes closed.

Piccolo and F-Trunks exited in sync, but split off in opposite directions: Piccolo heading to Vegeta, while F-Trunks headed towards the mysterious medical expert and friend of Goku's from Other World.

"So, Namekian," Vegeta spoke with a smirk on his face, his eyes opening as Piccolo stopped but a few meters away from his tree, "I take it that you were able to find out how strong Kakarot has become?"

"Yeah, I found out," Piccolo spoke lowly, a bead of sweat crawling down his browline, emphasizing his borderline disbelief of what he felt.

"Well? Out with it then!" Vegeta impatiently barked, uncrossing his arms as he pushed himself off the tree as he regarded the tall Namekian.

"His power has grown incredibly fast within the nine months he's been dead. Like you suspected, he must have found some place to train in Other World," Piccolo began to debrief Vegeta, causing the latter to narrow his eyes seriously, "whether its the fact that a body you get from Other World, it seems that Goku has almost doubled his strength since we've last saw him, maybe even more."

Sighing, Vegeta raised his right hand to stroke his chin as he verbally pondered, "I wonder if its that damned Tournament that's got him so excited? Bulma wouldn't shut up about the news Kakarot gave to the others when I went to take care of Bojack. Maybe he was preparing himself for Bojack and Cell, and whoever was crazy to accept an invitation to take part in that competition."

"The kind of training he put himself through must have been excruciating, and most possibly abusing the limitations of death being a problem," Piccolo reasoned, looking down at the ground as his brows knitted into a frown, "by the time he comes back, his strength could easily surpass anything we've achieved."

"You worry too much," Vegeta smiled darkly, as he extended his right hand into clenched fist in emphasis, "that just means by the time he returns, he'll be a true rival to the strongest of us. Yours truly, most of all, but the rest of you might actually prove to be sport by the time he's back."

"Don't let that power go to your head, Vegeta," Piccolo spoke in a guttural tone, as his eyes glaring coldly into his, "You got lucky enough that I stopped you from being executed by Bojack before you played your best hand. Keep that up, and someone half your strength will end up getting lucky because you let your guard down."

"And you should tread carefully around someone like me, Namekian!" Vegeta snarled as he took a step forward towards former Guardian of Earth, his eyes glistening with barely pent-up rage, "Gohan failed to kill his nemesis and almost allowed precious people to him, TO ME, to be put in jeopardy. Without me, there would BE no next time!"

After a brief exchange of glares, Vegeta turned sharply on his heel and walked away, brushing past the tree before jogging off in the distance. Within an instant, an aura of transparent energy wrapped around his body, before he leaped up into the air and blasted off into the horizon. He didn't care if Kakarot wanted to speak to him or not, he came for what he wanted to know, even if it was from an unpleasant messenger. Now all he had to do was train appropriately for the coming time he'd face him. Whether it was one year or ten, he'd be ready for their ultimate rematch, and he'd hold not a single iota.

Meanwhile, F-Trunks approached Aosai, curious as to her reason for coming and why she chose to stay outside.

"Hey there," F-Trunks spoke to the Herasian's backside, earning her a surprised sideglance at the staunch warrior-built teenager. Upon seeing her attention was upon him, he arched a brow in query, "why are you out here by yourself?"

"Oh," Aosai turned her head around, twiddling her thumbs, trying to think of a proper response, "its...a little hard to explain..."

"Well, for starters, can you tell me why you're here? Its obviously you're not from around here," F-Trunks gestured towards the golden halo, faintly glowing above her head.

"Right, of course," Aosai looked up at the halo, barely remembering how constantly it thrummed over her body. With a sigh, she turned around and faced F-Trunks fully, folding her hands on her lap as she regarded the half Saiyan, "my name is Aosai. I'm...well...I've been named the Eastern Galaxy's Champion by the East Kai. As you can tell, I'm an Herasian, but I was also known as a Huntress in my more adventurous days, and a healer before that. I had become acquainted with Goku several months ago when the Grand Kai held a TV broadcast of your Tournament-"

"Wait a minute," F-Trunks interrupted, waving his hands out as his eyes closed, before staring at her incredulously, "the Intergalactic Tournament was televised in Other World?!"

"Yes. The Grand Kai was quite insistent on broadcasting it in front of everybody," Aosai spoke plainly.

Slapping his right palm over his face, F-Trunks sighed heavily as he dragged it down exasperatedly, "Leave it to deities to make it a point to watch martial arts tournaments on Earth," looking back at Aosai, he saw her eyes lingering into his a bit longer than expected, "what?"

"You look _lost_," Aosai spoke cryptically, bowing her head as she finished, "like me, but much longer."

"Lost?" F-Trunks spoke quietly, feeling almost transparent, as Aosai knew something about him he didn't let others know about.

"You seem to be out of place here, as if you're looking for a place to belong," Aosai spoke solemnly, casting her gaze towards the hovel, filled with laughter and animated excitement, "while I have nothing anchoring me here, I feel I could vanish and no one would remember me. I don't know why...I bothered to show my face."

"So you came unintentionally?" F-Trunks deduced, as he figured out the hesitancy to mingle with the others and the lack of enthusiasm for such a happy event. After he received a sad nod, he sighed, lowering himself to one knee so he could look the Herasian woman in the eyes, "well, I want you to know that I'm not really lost. I came here willingly...I've just...lost my sense of purpose after I came here to see things through. I don't know which way I'm supposed to go from this point on, you know?"

"Follow your heart," Aosai smiled sadly, as a tear snaked down her eyes when she met F-Trunks', "that's what I've been taught as a child and that's how I've been able to protect the ones I cherish and live life to the fullest. Its only a shame I didn't follow it fully or didn't understand it till my end...or even now. But you have plenty of time to make things right that you need to."

"Hey, don't let this stuff get you down. I'm sure you have plenty of confidence in you, if you were named a Galactic Champion by the Kais," F-Trunks said with an encouraging smile, relieved to know that Aosai was empathetic to his own personal crisis. It was the least he could do for this stranger, being displaced by lifetimes away.

"I guess we both needed some encouragement," Aosai smiled back, standing up from the boulder she sat on, and looked into his eyes thoughtfully, "I hope your troubles will be resolved, as I wish mine are."

"On that I can agree on," F-Trunks nodded back to Aosai.

Before conversing could go any further, an unexpected flourish of instantaneous movement broke all four's concentration.

Within an instant, a heavily packed van appeared out of thin air, with Goku hovering directly next to its right flank, his left hand touching it with his right hand's forefingers touching his forehead. Everyone inside looked startled, if not quite surprised by what had transpired.

"W-Wow! That was fast, Goku!" Bulma spoke from the driver side, looking out of her window to see they were smack dab in the middle of the hovel's front yard.

"Agan-Agan!" K-Trunks giggled in the securely fastened seat on the other side.

"Boy...sure beats taking a jet, that's for certain," Master Roshi muttered as he looked out the window.

"WOW! We're already here, and it was so fast too!" Chiaotzu spoke with glee, as he hopped out of his seat to exit Bulma's van.

As the group of people exited Bulma's van, Goku walked over to Aosai and Trunks, a smile spread across his face as he saw his two friends.

"Hey guys! Sorry I took so long! It was little difficult to find a way to transport all of them with Instant Transmission. But I finally concentrated enough to bring them all here in one go," Goku explained.

"Goku," Aosai finally spoke, her face bowing politely to him, but hiding her face with her bangs, as she spoke lowly, "can we return to Other World now? I've seen...all I can take for one day."

"Oh," Goku's eyes widened, suddenly noticing the barely contained sadness within Aosai. The deceased Saiyan must realize that someone who's been departed from the realm of the living must be taking the idea of returning not as well as he did. After all, he had returned from death once already, so he probably was used to the experience, "I understand. Just let me say goodbye to my friends and family, okay?"

Aosai nodded a few times, as she followed Goku and Trunks inside, wanting to depart from this wonderful realm already.

As Goku entered the room, now happily buzzing with animated reunion and excitement, he couldn't help but appreciate the unfolding conversations of his friends to each other.

"Hey, Chiaotzu! Glad you could make it," Tien spoke fondly to his long-time friend, outstretching his fist to collide with his short, hovering friend's, "I can tell your training is going well?"

"Mhm!" Chiaotzu chimed with a beaming smile, pumping his other fist, "I've gotten really strong! I may not be able to lift mountains with my hands, but I think using my mind is a lot easier."

"Your Psychic abilities will soon put to shame any accomplished martial artist in no time," Tien encouraged with a smile as he retracted his fist, planting either of them on his hips.

"Nah, I could never be as awesome as you," Chiaotzu spoke with a complimentary laugh.

As Goku's eyes turned over, he noticed Bulma carrying K-Trunks over to see the baby, cradling in her mother's arms once more.

"She's adorable!" Bulma bent down, with K-Trunks leaning over his mother's arms, ogling the cooing baby.

When Trunks and Goten's eyes met, each were briefly met with an odd silence. As if they were taken aback by what they saw and were curious who this person was. Then, with a spread smile, Goten giggled as she outstretched her hands towards the one year old baby boy.

"Pwetty baby," K-Trunks spoke with a smile, as he reached out and grasped Goten's hand, who giggled in return in innocent joy.

"Awwwwwwwwwww," Both moms cooed in adoration at the two children's exchange of blissful friendship.

Meanwhile, Master Roshi had been sneaking on his hands knees, inching his way towards Bulma's legs, intent on getting underneath her business skirt to look towards the "prize" he had been relishing to expose. He had been discreet and quiet, with most of the others exchanging in animated dialogue with each other to notice his advances.

That is, except for Videl and Gohan.

**CRACK!** "AAAAAAAAH!" Master Roshi howled, as Videl slammed her foot on his right hand, glaring down at the old man's proximity to Bulma.

"You should pay attention whom you're advancing on, old pervert!" Videl snarled, causing Gohan to sweatdrop at her animosity at the old, martial artist lecher.

"MY HAND! MY HAND! SOMEONE GET HER OFF IT!" Master Roshi slapped his other hand next to him, comically signaling his surrender. However, he'd get no mercy, as Bulma snapped a kick towards Master Roshi's face, sending him hurdling head over heels to indent the far bed room wall, "owwwwwwwwwwww..."

"Seriously, when will you learn?" Bulma huffed with indignation, as K-Trunks and Goten giggled at the ridiculous face Roshi made in his dazed, beaten state, while the others joined in a chorus of laughter.

It was at this point everyone noticed Goku silently walking towards Chi-Chi's bedside. A look of sadness came over him, as a look of knowing he'd depart in but a minute made his eyes water. Leaning down, he hugged his wife, whispering to her, "Its time for me to go back."

"Oh, I see," Chi-Chi's smiled softened, her free arm patting her husband as she buried her face into the crook of his neck. She inhaled his scent and relished his warmth, relishing in the comfort his presence always gave him. She knew how much he loved her and his family, even breaking the barrier of death to rescue them in their most dire hour. Knowing he had to leave must be difficuly she knew this much to be true, "promise me you'll come back for Goten's birthday?"

"I will," Goku raised his eyes back to Chi-Chi's, smiling past the tears that poured down his face, "you can count on it."

The two exchanged a longing, heartfelt kiss before Goku leaned down and kissed his daughter on the forehead, "I'll be back before you know it, Goten."

The baby giggled and smiled up at her father, even as his hand caressed her tiny fingers, before leaving the child and his wife.

Turning to meet his other child, his firstborn son, he patted his hand, Goku ruffled it thoughtfully with a smile on his face, "Watch over mom, okay?"

Sniffling, Gohan smiled up at his father, raising a fist up in proclamation, "You can count on me, dad!"

"I'll keep him out of trouble," Videl teased, as she slung an arm around Gohan's neck, causing the boy to squirm with embarassment as she laughed, "at least, as much I can that is!"

"Glad to hear it," Goku smiled fondly at the two. For some reason, seeing the two of them exchange looks and smiles towards each other reminded him of how he and Chi-Chi first met. Looking up at the rest of his friends, he walked past of them while clasping hands and exchanging smiles with each other, knowing that they'll be anxious to see him back for good.

"You all have grown so strong in such a short period of time. I'm relieved to know that Earth is in good hands," Goku declared as he looked over the lot of them, as he stood next to Aosai, whom hid her face from view as her lower lip quivered. With a longing wave, Goku placed a hand on Aosai's shoulder as he finally relinquished his hand to tap his forehead. Within a high-pitch squeak, his body and Aosai's disappeared within an instant, and left the Z Fighters in awe of his miraculous exit.

"Don't worry, guys," Gohan reminded the lot, as he saw them stare blissfully at the spot where Goku disappeared, "he'll be back in no time. After all, he IS my dad."

"Showing up when you least expect it," Piccolo spoke with a nostalgic tone, grinning wryly at the thought, "I'll look forward to the day when he comes back. That way, he and I can have a sincere rematch."

"Get in line," Tien spoke challengingly, as he smirked towards the Namekian ex-Guardian, "you won't be the only one who's expecting a satisfying battle with Goku."

"You got that right!" Yamcha, flexed his fist with eagerness, "my techniques can always be improved. I may be an equal to Goku by the time he comes back for real!"

"Looks like we all got a score to settle with our mutual rival and friend, haha!" Krillin laughed heartily, which was exchanged by the rest of the gang, exempt of F-Trunks and Bulma.

"Boys," Bulma rolled her eyes, rocking her baby with a resigned smile on her face, "they actually make progress and now they think they can beat Goku in a fight."

"Goku's an aspiration for them all, Mom," Bulma's son from the future spoke solemnly, his eyes gazing longingly at the passion mingled with the nonchalant laughter, "he's the one that told them they could fill his shoes he left behind. That is what's been keeping them going this long, and gave them this much power."

"Well, true, but I still can't imagine Goku being beaten the way he is," Bulma spoke with a chuckle, looking up thoughtfully, "I remember him just as a boy he was darn near indestructible. With the way he is going to be when he returns, he'll be in a league of his own."

"Maybe, mom. Maybe," F-Trunks spoke lowly, as he closed his eyes, as he continued in thought, "_now I just need to find that aspiration they all have found to gain me that power. Question is...where do I go from here to find it?_"

* * *

**Elsewhere...**

As soon as the squad of Inner Circle agents converged in the horizon to see that they all went to witness the birth of Goku's second child, they decided to head back to HQ. Despite their earlier animated argument, their travel was within relative silence, as they crossed over to a dark corner of the planet.

As they arrived, they would see a large island with a tropical rainforest surrounding it for a good couple of kilometers. Diverting themselves away from the lush tropic landscape, the three approached a hollowed out tunnel carved from the bottom of a volcano, allowing them to fly forth into the darkness. Within a matter of seconds, automatic sensor lights lit up, lighting up a path along the perfectly tubular shaped tunnel, lined with a faintly glowing metal surface.

An infernal heat cast over the atmosphere, as the energy of flowing magma was harnessed into a natural resource for their headquarters to run on and shielding their base from spying equipment and watchful eyes. This gave the impression of a heat wave flowing from the tunnel and out of the exit, discouraging less hardy folk from entering in.

Dropping before a small metal door, Trench landed at the head of the trio, raising his hand to touch its surface. Within a emerald, webbed projection of emerald energy, all three members were scanned thoroughly.

"_Welcome back, Agent Trench. Agent Void. Agent Sky,_" the automated voice projected from the door, as it slid up into upper recesses of space, allowing the three to pass through silently.

"It sure feels good to be back," Void sighed, glad that he could talk freely, "I feel like I'd go insane being out there. Oh, wait, too late. I'm already insane, haha!"

"I wish we had a better view of the outside," Sky pouted her lips.

"Still wanting to cloud gaze, Sky?" Trench asked with an amused tone.

"But the heavens are so pretty to look up at!" Sky flailed her arms comically as she looked up at the tall, staunch man with black shades obscuring his eyes, "don't you wish you could just sleep on a bed of clouds, while sitting up way so high?"

"No," Trench spoke bluntly.

With a sigh, Sky huffed, "You're no fun as always."

"And you need to keep your mind on the mission, Sky, or your feelings will get the better of you," Trench spoke pointedly.

"Yes sir," Sky spoke in a dreary tone.

"Cheer up, Sky! If you want some company, you can come by my room and pose for me-!" Void began to offer, cutting short by Trench's glare, "what?! Its not like I'm sneaking into her room and taking pictures of her without her knowledge!"

"That's oddly specific," Trench spoke dryly.

"Okay, I'll keep my hands to myself and only to myself, capiche?!" Void spoke with a finite gesture to the side, his featureless mask keeping him from showing any form of expression of the sarcastic visage he had on at the moment.

As they turned the corner, however, they were blocked by a squad of five known agents.

"Well well well," Void spoke in a pointed tone as he observed the group with full recognition, "if it isn't the Jackass Squad."

"Ever such the comical genius, Void?" The Leader of the five, Kyoshou, stood out in front with a challenging smile as he spoke. Smooth, raven black combed hair slid back form a high-rise ponytail to fall down his back, the fair complexioned, onyx eyed man Stood at an average height, but did nothing to hold back his haughty stance. Wearing an unbuttoned, high-collared sleeveless black jacket with a grey muscle shirt underneath, Kyoshou's muscular disposition showed off to be quite fit, a fact he often reveled in. With a unique black kama skirt wrapped around his waist, mostly covering the black leggings underneath that ended with a pair of black boots and finger-less black gloves, it perfectly emblazoned his haughty spirit and mental disposition over others.

To Kyoshou his right, was a tank of a man named Castle. He wore a matte black combat vest while sporting a variety of advanced studded armor around his limbs, while bearing a number of high-tech weaponry and tech on his person. Butch-style blonde hair sitting atop a tanned complexioned head, he almost always had a cigar wedged in between his teeth while casting a glare at anything who stared too long.

To Kyoshou's far right was a man with dark red highlighted, black hair with bangs covering his left eye named Ningai. A man draped in in a black kimono with red edges, Ningai face was pale and with dark eyeshadow matching his thin, black colored lips and finger nails. Draped in obscurity as thick as his garments, he cared little of speaking up but only acted upon behalf of Kyoshou's commands, given his rank within the organization.

To Kyoshou's left was a long-blonde haired woman named Flare. With curls flowing through the gorgeous, golden colored hair that almost touched her ankles, Flare wore a tight black leather suit that hugged her body in a sensuous manner. With her large cleavage's top exposed, her lower backside and navel were as exposed as her perfectly alabaster skin that was shown on her neck and perfectly shaped face, finished with emerald sapphire colored eyes. Meant to be nothing but Kyoshou's showgirl, her attitude suggests her fierce loyalty as well as her fiery temper towards anyone who struck him. Literally in some cases.

To Kyoshou's far left was a man simply named Edge. A black sash wrapped around his auburn hair covered head and left eye, showing signs of a past injury left unattended, leaving his remaining silver-grey eye to perpetually stare impassive at anyone who gazed upon his sharp features. A black overcoat wrapped over specially crafted chain-mail woven sleeves and leggings, with a black breastplate matching the material made out of his heavily armored boots. With a specially embroidered katana wrapped securely within the crimson sash around his waistline, Edge acted and spoke the most logically of the group and only acted if needed.

The group was allegedly called the "Master Squad," as a play to Kyoshou's name, and they would be often seen together at all times. The fact that they blocked their path, only meant that Kyoshou intended to start another conflict.

"Yeah, I'm a comic genius alright. Turns out, I'm hosting a new bit talking about your squad being the Master of Sucking Squad! Whatcha think of that, hot shot?!" Void verbally baited the man in front of him.

"Heh, ever the imbalanced one, I see," Kyoshou spoke with a humored grin, as he cast his sharp eyes towards Trench, showing a smile of false admiration, "ah, Trench. How went the mission? Did these so-called Z Fighters do anything of interest?"

"Two of them went sparring in the Arctic, Vegeta kept training at home, and the rest had a brawl near the outskirts of town after one of them was part of a casino robbery. In the long run, it was nothing of huge importance," Trench spoke dryly, not feeling motivated to make small talk with the mutual Squad Captain.

"Ah, that is quite uneventful. But maybe that's for the best. Because when things happen, the world almost suffers from Armageddon," Kyoshou chuckled at the thought of another other-worldly plot or invasion wreaking havoc on the Earth. Its things like this why Kyoshou believed the world needed their organization, and their constant influence throughout, "its a shame most of the time we have to cower in this little island when one of them goes on a tantrum. I'd personally crush them if I could..."

"You wouldn't stand a chance," Sky spoke flatly, her eyes look at Kyoshou with unimpressed silver eyes, "your nothing but fodder in comparison to the Super Saiyans."

"Aha! So the cloud-gazer speaks!" Kyoshou teased, walking forward, uninhibited by either of her companions as he looked straight into her eyes, admiring her body with a brief glance. Her hair sparkled like starlight within the artificial lamps mounted within the walls and ceilings of the hallway, matching the vibrant glow her irises and lips had. Even her skin was as fair as glossy marble, matching the pure white fur-laced collared coat that wrapped around her sleeveless white shirt. Billow cuffed white slacks adorned her legs, with surprisingly bare feet below it all, "I see you take pride in your figure as much as you like to gaze at clouds. Do you wish to be more of an angel than you already are?"

"There are no such things, Kyoshou," Sky glared icily at Kyoshou, "the Heavens aren't home to such fairy tale creatures."

"You make it sound so divine. I wonder," Kyoshou lowered his voice as he leaned towards her as he lifted a hand to brush her chin, while manipulating his other hand to touch her coat-covered shoulder, "if you'd fancy to join me? The squad you're in is so unappealing and unappreciative to your standards. I think it'd be much more appropriate if you were by my side, yes?"

Trench curled his lips with amusement, as he noted the sour glare tossed at Koyshou's back by Flare, obviously simmering with jealousy. He remained quiet, as did Void, knowing the end result of this surprisingly bold move Kyoshou made on Sky.

"Kyoshou," Sky spoke in a cold tone, as her voice lowered to a whisper, "do you know why ants never shout at the Heavens?"

"What do you-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Within an instant, Kyoshou found his body whirled around and held within a firm arm-lock, as he felt his face nearly touch the tiled ground. He didn't even register the movement of her right hand grabbing his own, but distinctly felt the strong grip on his wrist, as her foot mercilessly pushed down on his back, ever pushing his arm farther away from its proper posture.

"Kyoshou!" Flare suddenly shouted out, leaping towards her superior, along with the others, only to be stopped by a distinct cold sensation that caused her breath to leave her. Without even noticing it, Trench had moved in front of Flare and the others, his massive frame becoming an immovable wall to the others. Flare could only hiss at the superior officer, indignant at allowing such an act of insubordination to occur from one of his own squad members to her own leader, "out of the way, Trench!"

"Stay put for a few moments and let the lady have her say," Trench spoke in a commanding tone, not even bothering to extract his hands from his pockets to acknowledge any of them as a threat.

Left helpless to move, Flare and the others could only watch as Sky spoke in an eerily dark, quiet tone as she continued to press further and further pressure on his back and arm.

"Do you know why ants don't shout at the Heavens, Kyoshou? Its because no matter how much they may despise, envy, or curse it, they are beneath its notice or care. When a storm brews, it is merciless in its wake, as all ants drown beneath its unforgiving rain that it lets loose. The winds blow them away like dust. The lightning annihilates them, and the darkness engulfs them. In all of its majesty, even a king among cockroaches has no place even laying a finger on the beautiful Heavens. Let it be known to you, Kyoshou, that if you ever try and force the taboo of touching what is sacred to me," leaning down, she smiled faintly as her eyes glared at his terrified orbs, "I'll tear off your precious arms, Master of Insects!"

Releasing his arms while pushing him across the ground, Trench's frame moved to the side, allowing Flare and Tank to haul Kyoshou to his feet. After recovering, Kyoshou flexed his nearly broken arm while visibly seething, turning to glare heatedly at Sky as he snarled, "You stupid bitch! Do you know striking a superior officer, let alone threatening one, freaking stupid?!"

"I didn't strike you, Kyoshou, you were placing your hand on me. I do recall a fraternization policy being instilled among agents," Sky spoke nonchalantly, shrugging as she nodded to Flare's proximity to Kyoshou's side, "but it seems you like to make certain exceptions on the rules instilled to us by Command."

"Tch!" Kyoshou hissed as he turned around, promptly causing the other four to follow, as he shouted behind his shoulder, "Don't cross me again, or I'll make sure you regret it, airhead!"

As the five left their sight, Void whistled, "That was dark, Sky, really dark. Even for you...though not I'm complaining, I thought it was pretty hot, haha!"

"Sky, please refrain from putting your superior officers, regardless of their unbecoming personalities, into grapples," Trench spoke flatly, with an annoyed edge to it, though not bothering to cast his gaze towards her direction.

"He had it coming, Trench. Kyoshou's a scumbag, and he's not known for making the best decisions. The only Squad Captain around here worth respecting is you, and you know it," Sky pouted her lips, as she narrowed her eyes at his tall, staunch figure.

"It doesn't matter if I am superior or inferior, or if I am respected or shunned, Sky. It matters if we follow orders and respect the chain of command. If we don't, then we are nothing but freelance cowboys, with no purpose other than to instill our own agenda before the goal our organization has for the world," Trench turned his opaque-shaded eyes towards Sky's annoyed gaze, speaking now in a commanding tone, "return to your quarters and catalog all you have learned. I expect a report on my desk before the day's end. I don't want you socializing with the other agents until you work on that attitude of yours as well."

"Fine," Sky sighed, rolling her eyes as she walked away, turning up at the nearest corner, leaving the two behind.

"That goes for you too, Void," Trench ordered.

"Ah, c'mon Trenchie! Let's be friends!" Void flipped his long white hair to the side, as he flailed his arms in protest.

"Room. Catalog. Now," Trench spoke in a level, no-nonsense tone.

"Love you too, Trench," Void snorted sarcastically, as he skipped jocularly down the hall and turned towards his own quarters, as he began to chatter to himself in excess.

Within but a moment, Trench himself walked forward down the white hall until moving to the right, heading towards a dimmer lit area of the complex. A few minutes of complex turns and arches past over his staunch figure, before he entered a dark laboratory. As he entered, he caught gaze of the resident scientist, one named Doctor Halo standing right next to a operating table.

A vague shadow loomed over the patient, as the blonde scientist with thick-lens glasses looked over her work with a smile of relief, "Finally completed."

"About time," Trench added, a tone of impatience clear within his voice as the scientist faced the intimidating man.

"Ah! Captain Trench! Nice to see you back from the field. From the look of things, it appears all is uneventful then?" The Doctor spoke in what she passed off for small talk, though her hands wringing across each other didn't hide her nervousness in front of him.

"As usual. Is the patient finished?" Trench spoke pointedly towards the person, shadowed on the table.

"I can speak for myself," the man in question slid off the table. A trimmed beard wrapped around the upper lips and chin of the orient complexioned man, as a glow of glistening red eyes shined instead of pupils and scleras should be. With his head wrapped in a skin tight black wrapping, matching most of his metallic outlined muscular body, with vambraces aligned on his forearms and shins, the entity standing before Trench looked like a lethal killing machine.

"Of course you can," Trench spoke with a flat tone, looking at the man up and down, before inquiring, "how do you feel?"

"Never better," the patient slammed a fist into an open palm, radiating a loud clang in excess that projected his eagerness far better than his dark grin, "I can't wait to take myself out to stretch these new arms and legs of mine."

"Your old cybernetic mods made by Doctor Wheelo were highly inefficient. Your new body should be quite capable of taking on the strongest of warriors in this day and age," Doctor Halo spoke with an ecstatic grin, as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"Quite," Trench turned his opaque-shaded eyes back to meet the glowing red eyes of the man before him, as he spoke in a propositioning tone, "how would you like to work for me...Mercenary Tao."

"Its just Tao now, but yes," the well known ruthless assassin spoke with a dark grin, as he chuckled ominously, "I'd like that very much..."

* * *

**A/N**: _And there you have it! Chapter 12! _

_As I explained before in the prior notice, I made this chapter short because of the upcoming closure this chapter is meant to bring, as well as the fact that I wanted to make a good closing cliffhanger for this title, as you've seen above. _

_With the dynamic with the Inner Circle, it appears Trench and Kyoshou are fellow Squad Captains, but its clear neither really respect each other. Sky's temper is shown at being touched, you gotta love the ditsy chicks being suddenly lethal in a confrontation. Hope you all enjoyed that. XD_

_And now Mercenary Tao is back, and more badder than ever! Hopefully these upgrades that he's gotten will come in handy for whatever diabolical schemes the Inner Circle has planned. The question still remains: What are their aims, and when will they commence their plans? _

_Find out in the next exciting Chapter of the_ Vegeta Chronicles!


	13. Homeward Bound

**THE VEGETA CHRONICLES**

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**Chapter 13 - Homeward Bound**

* * *

**Ten Days Later...**

Destiny is a fickle thing.

Its something that Trunks had to learn the hard way, after spending years training under his mentor and his best friend, Gohan. Despite how certain and set in stone most things appeared to be, since the day of birth and moments of critical conflict, the fated can always rewrite the path to their own destiny, however they wish.

Ever since his own mother, Bulma, had told him of her plans to build a time machine, things seemed to come full circle. He didn't need to hide in fear, or die fighting a useless battle against his oppressors, the Androids. He could tunnel into the past, and make his own present day a much brighter world. Even his own father, and all of his friends his mentor had made could've survived and become a part of Trunks' life.

However, one factor always remained the same: Destiny had a way of surprising you, when you least expected it. Through a series of unseen circumstances, Trunks in fact tunneled into the past, but not his own, but an mirrored dimension nearly identical in every way to his own world. The Androids seemed to be different in initial encounter, and the ones he recognized, weren't the same, and even had an additional companion.

Even then, that's not where the strangeness stopped of this past timeline he entered to save. A monster brought out of an indentical duplicate of his own time travel machine, named Cell, became the new monster that he needed to destroy.

Time and again, Trunks' tried everything within his own initiative and power to surface strength he needed to obliterate the familiar face of evil, sharing the same eyes of his mentor's killers. But even at his highest mountain of power, he was still outmaneuvered, and then treated as nothing more than a bystander to this timeline's Goku, Gohan, and finally, his own father in the end.

"_I need to gain_ that _power. That power that you attained on that day, father_!"

His past words echoed in Trunks' mind, even now as he hovered over a vast lake on a deserted island his father had destined to be the site of their training. His own aura causing the water just inches below to bubble and create a veil of steam to surround his fiery golden aura. His piercing emerald eyes glistened with cool, focused concentration. His golden mane spiked to all sides and standing erect, and his arms raised into a ready stance along with his bent legs.

"_Its not a power you can summon upon_ Will _alone, Trunks. This power is a legendary form of raising one's potential to the next level, without losing mental and physical control over yourself. Letting myself fall into the darkness that I sought to escape my whole life was what led me to become a Super Saiyan. It was...liberating...to free myself of my goals and my forethoughts about Kakarot, about my Pride, about my Honor. But as soon as I got that power, those thoughts vanished with the energy that flowed through my veins, and I lost myself to my own shortcomings once again. It was only through being Humbled at the hands of Cell, witnessing Gohan's ascension, and my eyes being opened through your death that I threw away everything that mattered. Its through the pain of loss and the humility of oneself that you can attain this power, son. Use this knowledge, and perhaps someday, you too will be as powerful as Gohan and I!_"

The Saiyan Prince's words echoed within his own mind, as he readied himself for another bout, having already sparred a good deal in base form with the eager future variant son of his. Standing with perfect poise and control on the edge of the island's cliff face, Vegeta kept breathing in and out, as a soft vibrant glow covered his body, thrumming with meticulous care and focus, unlike Trunks' barely controlled and wild Ascended Form. His left arm raised with an open palm facing down, and fingers curled part way into a fist, while withholding his right fist close to his side. His left leg bent forward, while the other leg's toes dug into the earth, ready to launch himself at his designated opponent.

"_My whole life as a kid was nothing but anguish, despair, and bitterness. The only thing that kept me going was hope for a better tomorrow, something that the few I cared about kept instilling within me. When I saw Gohan lying there, dead, my whole world came crashing down. I lost it, and also lost my mind, as I became engulfed in a white hot flame of sheer rage. That's...what it was like for me to gain my Super Saiyan transformation._"

Trunks inhaled deeply, before exhaling, as he slowly drew back his arms, clenching his fists that began to well with magnificently in between his fingers. He prepared for his assault, as he remembered his father's words echo within his forethoughts, as he began to thrust his arms forward, clenched fists glowing brightly with the contained energy dwelling within the small compressed space of his palm and fingers.

"_Sometimes adversity and grief isn't enough. Sometimes, you need to find your own way to break the mental barriers that you have placed before yourself. I can't tell you and neither can Gohan. Its something you have to find out on your own, and most likely, the hard way..._"

"We'll see about that!" Trunks shouted out, as he opened his hands and unleashed dual bursts of golden energy, letting them blast out with enough intensity to blast the water around his feet back a good ten meters and shave off the surface of the proximate earth around him. They roared out like rockets, as the two dual golden fissures rushed towards Vegeta with incredible fury and momentum.

Vegeta could only smirk with anticipation as the two guided missiles of pure energy rush towards him with incredible power. As the two blasts of energy closed in, Veget allowed his body to backpedal and then flip downwards, with his boots' soles narrowly evading the two blasts that raced across the horizon, tearing through the ocean's surface before exploding with thunderous force within the distance.

Just as the veteran Saiyan warrior suspected, Trunks moved around in a crescent clipping maneuver, leaving a tail of golden energy in his wake from his movement of super speed. Before he could arrive, Vegeta formed a knife-hand gesture within his left hand, and swung it towards Trunks' bullet-racing form, creating a cutting fissure of transparent energy to catch him off guard.

Trunks' manage to barrel roll towards the island, with only bare surface of his hair being caught within the warping wind that cut a swathe across the edge of the island's cliff face, continuing on until dispersing a dozen meters later. It was his mistake to lose sight of his father, as the Saiyan rushed forward and slammed a powerful hook across his face. Within a crackling pop distorted air pressure and a grunt of pain, Trunks' found himself veering to the side, while using the momentum of his injury to swing his right leg around and clip Vegeta across his own jaw.

When the two Super Saiyans backed off, wincing slightly at their slight scathing blows, Trunks' stared heatedly back at Vegeta whom contrastingly had a smile of reveling on his face.

"What's the matter, Trunks? Not enjoying our little spar now? I thought you had a lot more fight left in you," Vegeta verbally goaded, while crossing his arms over his chest, observing his son from the short six meters of distance they had from each other.

"I don't know what you're talking about, father. I'm having the time of my life!" Trunks' gutturally shouted in protest, his body's aura igniting once again, as he charged forth, with Vegeta doing likewise.

The two Super Saiyan bodies began to move at disorienting speeds, as they appeared to shimmer to and fro across the island's surface and airspace. Sonic booms cracked the once lush, tropical landscape, and cracked the solid rock formations, quickly deteriorating the island with their battle's ferocious acceleration and vigor they placed into their attacks.

Both of their fists smashed into each other's, followed by shins, knees, forearms, elbows, and even foreheads. Every time their strikes would meet, flashes of golden-white light would be dispersing within wide arcs, imitating arcing tendrils of lightning as their bio-electricity vented from the pores of their skin. Despite all of this, two pairs of expressions were shared and continued to trade glances throughout all of their traded blows.

Vegeta's confident smile held true, while his eyes studied Trunks' hardened stare and gritted expression. As their battle intensified, the Saiyan father decided to bring something up as their two palms locked into a mutual grapple, "So, have you thought of getting a mate?"

Trunks' eyes widened with shock at hearing this, promptly allowing him to be pivoted around to his right side, allowing a powerful left snap kick to hit his exposed side, launching him up into the air with an excess shockwave billowing across their battlefield's airspace. As soon as he righted himself up, he halfway blushed as he glared down vehemently at his smug grinning father, "Is this really the time for us to talk about that?!"

"I think its a perfect opportunity for us to have a little chat," Vegeta reasoned, shrugging his shoulders as he raised his body up to be level with his son once again, "besides, whether you believe or not, these past few months have been worrying your mother. Ergo, it has also become a concern of mine, when you make less than half of the progress you were making during the half year we trained before that Tournament that brute, Bojack, infiltrated. So, I decided to ask if you needed to have a mate of your own, to take your mind off whatever depression you've dropped into."

"I'm not depressed, father, and I don't need a girlfriend, let alone a mate!" Trunks shouted back incredulously, throwing his arm out to the side, as he glared at his father for prying, "why would you even think that?!"

"Considering the fact that ever since the Tournament, it seemed that every one of your earth friends, and even Kakarot's son, has found a girl-mate, they've all been making significant progress in their training. The warmth of someone else is comforting, take it from your father who's been nothing but solely devoted to training these past several years," Vegeta reasoned, his smile dropping and his brows knitting into a frown at Trunks' irate visage he projected towards him, "if you have no person to tie you down in this world, what drive do you have?"

"I need to become stronger, not get tied down into this world!" Trunks' snarled out with frustration, finally leaping towards Vegeta, recklessly swinging his arms with repetitive fury and iration, "you, and all of my friends, all belong in this world and have become significantly stronger since Goku's departure. What have I gained since he left? What have I accomplished? NOTHING! There's nothing here for me anymore!"

Even as Trunks' fists hammered at Vegeta's defenses, his own face began to contort into a snarl of frustration. His son was making no sense to him. When he first arrived he was by far one of the strongest warriors alive. He had grit that rivaled his own, but a cool head and tactful thinking that gave Piccolo and Goku a run for their money. Though he miscalculated the drastic changes of his time traveling to their moment of history, he had the guts to do it anyways, with the hope of a better tomorrow.

But ever since Cell defeated him, killed him, and the Tournament, Trunks' behavior had been slowly welling up with a visible sense of welling anger. What for, Vegeta wasn't sure, and it seemed like no one could reach him. As if his mind was on another track, and refused to align with those around him to catch up. It caused Vegeta to become unnaturally distant, and angry at his son for ignoring him when their relationship just began to mend after Goku's death and farewell. Was he not good enough for him now? Was anything worth living for in this world for his future son?

It then clicked in the Saiyan Prince's head, and words came out before he could regret them.

"Nothing, you say?!" Grasping one of Trunks' incoming wrists, he weaved his head around to evade the other punch Trunks delivered. With a swift grappling pull of the extended forearm, and a twist of his body, he slammed his elbow smack dab within the epicenter of the young Saiyan-hybrid's gut. The force caused his eyes to white-out and wads of saliva to project out of his gaping mouth, as Vegeta retracted his arm from his stunned son's chest, "then why don't you go back if you're that homesick for your Hell-ridden world!"

**KRAK-VOOM!** Vegeta threw a bio-electric crackling punch across Trunks' face, sending him into the center of the island. His pinwheeling body crashed inwards and unleashed an explosion that blew away the formerly appealing, uninhabited island into debris, throwing back huge swathes of water before it became buried within the debris-ridden rock and soil.

Within but a few moments passing, Trunks jettisoned out of the sinking island, sporting a bleeding lip and an angry look in his eyes. The words that came next, would be ones that the father wouldn't have expected to hear, "FINE! Consider me gone!"

A bright flash of light flowed into the horizon, as Trunks rocketed away from his father with a deafening sonic boom left in his wake. In that moment, Vegeta felt his arms fall to their sides, and his fighting spirit leave him, as he realized the severity of the situation. Even as his Super Saiyan aura began defuse, leaving nothing but raven locks and onyx eyes.

"What just happened?" Was the only words that Vegeta could speak, as he rhetorically wondered what truly transpired between him and his son.

* * *

"Y-Y-You're leaving?!" Bulma spoke with a shrilled voice of shock and dismay, as she held her biological child, as she saw her son from the future pack his bedding and what few earthly possessions he acquired during his time living in the past.

"You sound surprised, mom," F-Trunks spoke matter-of-factly, keeping his back turned to her as continued to fill his backpack, "I was going to leave eventually. I can't leave my own timeline to be defenseless, now that the Earth is safe again."

"But...its just so soon," Bulma spoke with a sad tone, as her eyes looked down to the floor, as she cradled K-Trunks in her arms, "will you come back to visit? I mean, if you help make your world safe, travel back here won't be impossible, right?"

"I'll try to come back in a year. It may be longer, not sure," F-Trunks spoke matter-of-fact, as he sealed his pack and hauled it over his shoulder, looking back at his sad mom with a weary expression, "I promise I'll be back in a year to see you again. I've made enough bonds here that I can't forget all of you."

"I know," Bulma raised her tear-ridden eyes, as a sad yet understanding smile crosses her face, "I was just hoping you'd stay a little longer, and be a big brother to little Trunks here."

"That's Gohan's job, at least, for a little while," F-Trunks spoke with an assuring grin, making sure to start walking past his mother, placing a hand on her shoulder as he passed her by, "he's a good kid, spitting image of my mentor too. One of these days, he'll make a good leader and a good friend to my younger self, and his little sister. Unlike me, he'll be a good role model."

"Don't sell yourself short, Trunks Briefs!" Bulma spoke in a reprimanding tone, putting a fist on her hip as she watched him head towards the door. The mother began pouting her lips in emphasis, which was hilariously mimicked by her one year old child in her arms, "you're a hero to all of us, more than you realize."

F-Trunks couldn't help but smile appreciatively at his mother, causing himself to turn back around and wrap his arms around her into a tight hug, "I promise I'll come back to visit, mom."

Even as tears began to drip down her cheeks, Bulma couldn't help but whisper with a smile on her face, "Don't ever be a stranger here, Big Trunks."

"I told you not to call me that, mother," F-Trunks spoke with a feigned drop of irritation, as he released his young mother from his grip, and turned to head outside.

When he exited, he was in for a big surprise. Gathered within the Briefs' backyard was none other than most of the Z Warriors, including Videl and Gohan, within their midst.

"H-How?" F-Trunks asked as his eyes scoped each friend of his he made, standing before him with knowing looks in their eyes, "how did you know I was leaving?"

"You really think that after the fight you had with Vegeta that I wouldn't notice? These ears of mine aren't for decoration, you know," Piccolo spoke matter-of-fact, the Namekian emphasized with humor by donning a smirk on his face. Returning to a grim composure, Piccolo's arms crossed over his chest, "I contacted everyone who wanted to come to say their goodbyes. Your father's mind was closed off to me, no doubt not being in the mood to wish you off."

"He wasn't very keen on goodbyes the first time around. I didn't expect him this time either," F-Trunks spoke with a solemn tone, bowing his head, exhaling with resignation, "I guess I should thank him. Despite his awkward way of going about things, he realized that I was feeling out of place here. With all of you excelling far faster than I could, with motivations and goals that tie you here, I've yet to find a measure of closure back in my world. Maybe there, I can find the spirit to gain the kind of strength all of you have gained."

"Relax, Trunks, no need to fret," Krillin spoke out with a smile, scratching the back of his head sheepishly, "you were probably the strongest guy we all knew next to Goku when you came, and even then, you were still our most trusted friend. You defended Vegeta when not many of us would, and you stuck with him to the end. That's the kind of strength few people, few sons, can attain in a lifetime."

"Thanks, Krillin," F-Trunks smiled softly at Krillin, giving him a thumb's up, "not sure how I still feel about you dating an Android, but I wish you well. Not many have the heart and passion that you've displayed in the short time I've known you. Keep being yourself, and you'll be everyone's most reliable confident ally."

"Will do!" Krillin spoke back with a bashful salute, still blushing on the comment of him dating the majestic 18.

"Go kick some Android ass when you get back to the future!" Yamcha spoke with an upraised fist and a anticipating smile, "and if Cell happens to be there, go kick his ass too!"

"Shouldn't be a problem, considering how much weaker they were in my time compared to this one. Maybe after I'm done taking them apart, I can discover the reason for the difference in strength," F-Trunks shrugged, as well as verbally analyzed.

"Its a moot point to consider. There probably won't be anything left of the Androids once he's done with them," Tien shrugged as he smirked wryly, perceiving just what kind of fate the sinister identical Twins of the future would experience.

"One thing is clear, when I find the Androids, I'll make them pay for all of their slaughter and crimes. They won't hurt anyone else," F-Trunks spoke with a determined, assured tone, his voice becoming graveled as he thought of the two nightmarish entities that haunted him and his family for so long. Finally, the nightmare would end forever, and by his two hands no less. He knew his father, of today and of the future, would be proud.

The last of his assembled comrades he turned to say goodbye was Gohan and Videl.

The boy continued to impress and amaze him. He felt guilty for dragging him out three months prior, and almost keeping him from seeing his own baby sister being born. That, and he endangered Videl, a neophyte student in the ways of Ki manipulation and harnessment. He was glad to note that his brotherhood hadn't waned from the incident and Gohan was still as happy to see him, as he was sad that he was leaving.

"I'm going to miss you, Trunks," Gohan bowed respectively to the elder Saiyan, looking up to him with a sad smile, "you were always there for us, even when things didn't look so good. Just...wanted to say how much I appreciated your friendship too."

"Same here, Gohan," F-Trunks smiled appreciatively, raising a fist up to tap the son of Goku's own knuckles with a sign of mutual respect, "you may not be my mentor, but you have taught me things I needed to learn just as much. One day, you'll do everyone proud, and take the mantle of protector from your dad when the time is right."

"It means alot to hear you say that," Gohan spoke with a shaking voice, as his eyes began to water up, forcing him to rub his eyes. The last he felt was a strong hand, calloused and tender, stroke his hair compassionately, earning an upwards look of awe and comfort at his surrogate brother. Even as he sniffled, a smile crawled back up on his face as he whispered back, "thanks."

"Hang tight," F-Trunks raised his hand off Gohan's black haired head.

This allowed Videl to briefly grapple him around the neck and give him a noogie, as she giggled playfully when she drew her eyes back up to Trunks, "You don't worry about this guy, I'll keep him on his toes and out of trouble!"

"I have faith in you, Videl. You have the potential of surpassing every human on the planet. Just keep training and remember what Gohan and I have taught you," F-Trunks spoke with a proud voice, giving her a thumb's up.

"No problem! You just...go back...to the future," Videl struggled to finish her sentence, realizing how outrageous it sounded in her mouth, "geez, dad had a hard time believing in people who could conjure energy enough to create beams that could blow up entire cities, let alone an entire planet. I don't think he'd accept the idea of time travel. He might have an aneurysm from the shock, hahaha!"

"Probably best if he didn't know," Gohan spoke sagely, albeit had a smile on his face, "I can't imagine the stress he'd go through being paranoid about being abducted by aliens and the like because of the information overload!"

With that, nearly all the assembled friends and family laughed. It was this one moment that F-Trunks looked around at each of the faces he got the chance to know and fight alongside, the ones he never got the chance to meet in his childhood. It felt so surreal, that he got the opportunity to fight with people who were long dead and gone in his world. He hoped to see these friends he made in this timeline, after he made sure his world was safe.

As he walked to the center of the backyard, he reached into his blue jacket pocket and produced a single capsule. Worn, rusted, it had been quite a while since he ever needed to use it. With a single click, he tossed the small device forward, allowing it to explode into a bout of smoke and reveal his faithful transport across space and time.

Reaching towards the ladder to climb up the egg-domed machine, he heard a familiar cry that caused him to halt.

"Unkie-Twunks!" Turning his head over his shoulder, he saw Bulma approaching the machine with his present-timed counterpart sniffling sadly. It gave him a bout of nostalgia, having saw his own mother's tears when he left for the past for the first time. The young one year old K-Trunks struggled to reach out to F-Trunks, hoping to drag him away from the strange vehicle that'd take him away, "no go! Unkie Twunks stay!"

"Sorry kiddo, but I have to," F-Trunks hung off from the ladder, giving his present self a half-hearted salute to him and his mother, "be good to your mother."

With that said, he popped open the glass hatch of his time traveling machine, throwing his backpack into it shortly after he leaped onto the seat himself. Within moments, the machine revved up, humming aloud with power and control, levitating higher and higher up into the air, ready to disappear into the sky.

"Take care, my big man!" Bulma shouted out, even as tears streamed down her face and her child's, still blubbering with sadness at seeing his "uncle" leave so suddenly.

As he gazed out at the gathered friends waving down at him, and his mother, he couldn't help but allow tears to travel down his face, glimmering with the reflection of the Sun behind his machine. Hitting a few switched, his machine began to travel forward, making sure to set it so that only a year has gone by since he left. That way, the temporal rift would be stable, and wouldn't cause a replication of his future or this timeline.

Meanwhile, F-Trunks wouldn't see it, but Vegeta gazed from a dark shadow as his son began to rise into the sky. He didn't know how long he'd be gone, but he knew it would be awhile before he returned. He couldn't take his eyes away, even as the machine began to distort and disappear from all sight and sensation. Balling his fists, he turned around and ran the opposite direction, aiming to bury himself in training.

"_The day you return, son, hopefully the shroud of doubt that holds your mind captive will give birth to a whole new warrior. I will ensure I'm ready for you, Trunks. You can count on it!_" Vegeta thought to himself as he took off into the horizon, the sound of a deafening rocket as his trail flared up, leaving nothing but a blue-white trail of hot energy in his wake.

* * *

_"In today's news, another island was spotted in the Pacific by satellite to have been demolished by none other than World Champion, Vegeta. It appeared to be the case of another bout of sparring with Trunks Briefs, son of Vegeta and Corporate heir to Capsule Corp. Concerns have been stated by the public of the new World Champion's habits, as their more prone open-field-training practices are starting to break apart portions of the Earth. While the Government has been notified and requested by the Press time and again, the Parliament and King Furry are still in consultation about how to approach the matter, as well as come up with an appealing compromise..."_

**CLICK!**

_"World Tournaments are into full swing. Most of the dozens of local 3rd Class Tournaments have been finished, with designated Champions gearing up for the 2nd Class Tournaments. Popularity for the revitalized sport is still in its high, as nearly the whole world is participating beyond areas that were previously-"_

**CLICK!**

_"The affiliated group officially known as, The Z Warriors, is the name of the abnormally strong fighters who attended the Intergalactic Tournament, hosted by X.S. Cash. While some people have taken a liking to the new defenders of the planet well, having previously been kept in the dark as to their existence, others are skeptical of their ability to protect the Earth. Some say they may be attracting these extraterrestrial threats, and others, believe due to the state of today's technology and advancement, that we ourselves are attracting newfound threats who wish to destroy and take over our world. In any case, whether its a blessing or a curse, this reporter is glad to have the Z Warriors on our side!" _

**CLICK!**

_"Just a few more months until the hailed anniversary of the event when World Champion Vegeta defeated Cell, saving the whole world. While controversy still stands about the methods of this flame-haired warrior, as well as his approach towards media, we must not forget the sacrifices made by his fellow comrades and how he stood his ground against the menace, known as Cell."_

**CLICK!**

With a final click, Master Roshi, turned off the television with a heavy sigh.

Rising from the television, he dropped the spare Playboy magazine that was crumpled in his left hand and tossed it on top of the sleeping Oolong. Grabbing his cane, Roshi walked to the door, and exited to the deck. Thanks to his faithfully adorned sunglasses, the lapse of sunlight only refracted off of the opaque lenses, allowing him to take in the scent of sea water and the warm weather that lapped across his white T-shirt and Hawaiian designed shorts, decked completely with flip-flops.

Outside, he saw Chiatozu, clad in a sleeveless shirt and black slacks with only bare feet and his tell-tale hat on, hovering a good ten meters above the edge of the island. His body glowed a cyan aura, as he meditated and focused, lost in deep thought to acknowledge the brief laps of moisture the incoming tides would bring to the shores of the small isle.

Watching him, Roshi sat down on the deck and laid his cane beside him, as he observed the young, former rival student of the Crane School training himself to break his own limitations. He couldn't help but be lost in reverie, not acknowledging the slow and purposeful movements of Mr. Turtle approaching him from the sandy beach, locking his eyes curiously at his old friend.

"Master Roshi?" The aquatic creature inquired.

"Hm?" The old, retired martial artist looked in the direction of his aged, animal companion, allowing him to smile with recognition, "oh, its you. How's it hanging, Turtle?"

"I guess I can't complain. It'd be nice if I didn't feel tremors on the beach every time I wanted to take a nap," the reptile gave a half-way shrug, briefly turning to look over at the distant Chiaotzu hovering above the incoming tides, "though I do feel safer with Chiaotzu training here. He redirects the those big waves that come in every once in awhile."

"It certainly good to know that the youth of this generation are eager to improve, despite being set back so much from the rest of their peers," Master Roshi nodded in the direction of the pale skinned midget.

"Mhm, it sure does," Mr. Turtle nodded with agreement. An idea sparked into his head, causing him to turn his gaze back to Master Roshi's, as he inquired, "does it make you want to train again?"

A tired exhale broke from the weary lips of the aged martial artist, sitting down on the deck while laying his cane down beside him. An elongated silence hung over the two of them, even as the prior looked down at the sand from behind his shades. Raising his right hand, he began to speak, as he flexed and turned the appendage with emphasis, "I spent a good portion of my youth learning from the best, fighting with the best, contending from the best. By the time I had discovered a method of attaining Immortality, I've already turned into an old man. I was known as the World's Strongest, only competed by other legendary warriors around the globe. But then, I saw the youth I trained turn into superhuman warriors. I guess a part of me was willing to stand at the sidelines, and be content to watch my students battle it out, and fight on the world's behalf, while I enjoy the rest of my long life. Then, something happened..."

Looking up towards the young boy, meditating dozens of meters away, Roshi clenched his fists as he continued, "I watched Goku die, someone I believed was unstoppable and had no equal, but he met his end all the same. He was but the first of many to follow. Suddenly we weren't contending with the Red Ribbon Army or Piccolo. We were at war with the rest of the galaxy's worst scum, and they targeted our planet as a big battlefield. Chiaotzu, Tien Shinhan, Yamcha, many others would soon have their lives claimed, while I sat helpless on the sidelines."

Looking over to the sea-christened horizon, Roshi placed his hands on his knees, speaking with finality, "Maybe...maybe being content isn't simply giving up on fighting. Maybe being content with the luxuries of life and continuing to gain strength, is what I really needed to do all along. After all, as long as I have this life, I might as well put it to good use. What good is it being an Immortal if I can't use it for the betterment of the world, and for the protection of everything I cherish? Its about time I use my body's vitality to its fullest extent."

Standing up, Roshi's body began to gain muscular definition, straightening his back and allowing him to stand strong in the face of the misty breeze of the ocean. With a determined grin, Roshi turned to walk towards the ocean.

This caused the stoically and patiently silent Mr. Turtle to gape, his eyes widening as Roshi began walking to the beach's end, "W-Where are you going, Master Roshi?!"

"Its time I joined the ranks of the strongest, yet again!" Master Roshi called out behind him, a challenging tooth-full smile displayed for his old friend to see, "its time to get training!"

And without a second's hesitation, Master Roshi catapulted himself across the ocean's surface, his body moving at speeds great enough to break the surface of the water, as his body ran across it with much more power than any ordinary human being could muster. For the first time, the age-old martial artist felt a fire kindle within his chest, and passion long thought forgotten reawakened. Before anyone would know it, Roshi would become a fierce fighter yet again!

* * *

**3 Months Later**

Gohan couldn't work up the nerve.

It had nearly been a whole half year since he met the dazzling, midnight haired girl, Videl. Her fiery spirit, raw tenacity, and stubborn attitude had done nothing but attract the young man, having turned twelve within the last past week. The only thing is that until now, Gohan had never lived or socialized with anyone his age, boy or girl. To make things worse, ever since Trunks' departure, it had developed a eerily uncomfortable awkward tension around the two of them, when he continued to teach her, where they left off.

He couldn't ask Vegeta, having closed himself off from teaching the younger Saiyan, and having little to no direct conversations with anyone other than Bulma. This developed a palpable atmosphere of stress at the table during meals, as Vegeta would hardly strike up any form of elongated discussion or conversation, despite his wife's best efforts.

He couldn't ask Piccolo for advise, him being...well...Piccolo, who had no helpful advice when engaging in conversation with someone of the opposite sex of any other race.

Yamcha, Tien, and Krillin, despite being partnered with their own romantic partners, had little advice that Gohan wanted to seek. All of their girlfriends were abnormal in some sense or another: Maron was a ditsy girl on the surface, while retaining a wise and precise side that had knowledge of swordsmanship and martial arts, that managed to give Yamcha the inspiration he needed to increase his strength and newfound tenacity as a warrior; Launch was a Bipolar woman, who for all intents and purposes, had the rarest case of dual personality due to inconsistent sneezing; And last but not least, the beautiful Android 18, while the most reserved and seemingly normal of the three women, had a contained, nasty temper that rivaled any Saiyan's that Gohan knew of.

He thought of asking Bulma, but it'd be the same as if he asked his mom. The only help he ever got from family was his dad's small parting words, though he never knew for certain how much he could take to heart, without adding a grain of salt to it.

Gohan sighed, looking over at Videl, whom held a crackling sphere of her own energy in between the palm of her hands. It was white, and thrummed like a beating heart, with occasional spasms of shocking tendrils, showing just how much she was pouring her energy into it while constantly focusing her own natural Ki that flowed within her body.

He knew, now was the time, while the thought was still fresh. He'd know it'd take years if he didn't take initiative now, rather than later.

Hesitantly, Gohan walked up to stand right next to Videl, the latter still squinting her eyes in concentration of the tasking procedure before her. Looking to the side, Gohan scuffled his feet nervously, his cheeks already starting to build up heat as he spoke aloud, "Hey, Videl..."

"Hey, Gohan," Videl spoke out with stress and concentration, not taking her eyes for a second off the ball of flowing energy in between her hands, "need something?"

"Well...I was wondering...uhhh," Gohan scratched the back of his head, blushing even hotter as he kept his gaze down at his feet, his periphery locked onto Videl's glowing ball of hot light, "maybe...we could...uh...if its alright for you...when...you...uh...mmm...do...some...thing... "

Videl began to grind her teeth, annoyed by Gohan's sudden case of shyness, wondering what he could be talking about. All she could concentrate was the delicate task of continually harnessing her energy, maintaining it, charging it, and control her aura to keep balance. But all she heard was Gohan's voice, irritatingly distracting her.

"Gohan, please spit it out!" Videl spoke loudly, more harshly than she wanted to, due to the tenuous task at hand.

What she heard in response, however, wasn't what she expected.

"VIDEL WILL YOU LIKE TO GO OUT WITH ME?!" Gohan shouted at the top of his lungs, his face alight with bashfulness and embarrassment.

What happened in response, caused Videl's hands to suddenly lose grip of her energy ball, causing it to fire off like a cannon, and thrust into the horizon. In the distance, a collection of mountains combusted within an enormous explosion, sending a blistering wind emphasizing its distant grade of destruction.

Neither Videl nor Gohan noticed or cared about the distant, thunderous blast. Even as Videl stood to her feet, she couldn't help but don a similar mask of flushed cheeks to match Gohan's. Grasping one of her pigtails, she began to fiddle with it as she spoke aloud, "Well...I guess...that would be fine..."

"Oh!" Gohan responded with a startled realization, though kept his eyes away from Videl's at the moment, kicking the ground as his bangs hid his eyes, "then...would you like to...go out...to South City's boardwalk and just...hang out...there?"

"Sounds great!" Videl spoke suddenly, as she ran over to Gohan, grabbing his hand, and leaping into the air, "let's get going then!"

"O-Okay!" Gohan spoke with a sudden gleam, enjoying the fact Videl helped him break out of his shell, taking the lead this time around.

As they both shot into the air, they were encompassed into two pairs of blue-white auras. When they met at a high enough altitude, they began flipping around the air with their hands extended to either side, giggling and laughing with joy. They carved cloud "sculptures" in the sky, creating different shapes and different messages, enjoying their time spent within a place few people could experience.

"Let's race!" Videl proposed, veering close to his right side.

"Can you keep up?" Gohan asked with a challenging smirk, getting into the mood for the game.

"Can you?!" Videl asked him back incredulously, before pulling back her arms, and thrusting them forward, moving with enough speed to crack the sound barrier behind her.

This momentarily stunned Gohan, before giving chase with a daring smile. After he produced his own sonic boom, he soared with incredible speed and fury, intending on catching up with the stunning raven haired martial artist.

He couldn't help but admire the rate of advancement she made. It wasn't but a half year ago that she came in order to train herself to become as strong as they were, let alone harness her own Ki. Now, she was flying at speeds that'd rival any aircraft human kind would develop, not to mention was even giving Gohan a run for his money, despite being early in the game.

Within but a half minute, Gohan reached Videl's side, sliding next to her with his hands behind his head. A taunting smirk donned his face, as he easily breached her speed without even needing to pay attention to the direction she flew, "Give up yet?"

"Hardly!" Videl gritted her teeth with effort, pulling her arms closer to her sides, condensing her aura to touch the surface of her skin. The appearance briefly made her look like a speeding comet, nearly tripling her speed, leaving several sonic booms in her wake as she flew at an even faster rate.

This made Gohan's eyes widen with shock, having never thought of manipulating his energy in such a manner. This girl was truly something else, in the young Saiyan's eyes. Even then, Gohan tried to move as fast he could within his Base Form, leaving a powerful wake of blue light behind his feet, righting himself up as he did so.

Due to his own frustration, and his sudden urge to show off, Gohan engulfed his body in the aura of his Super Saiyan form. Grinning mischievously, he flew forth with a golden trail of energy in his wake, easily catching up to Videl's white-flaming form.

Before she realized what happened, she could see Gohan spiraling around her speeding form with ease, barely being distinguished due to his versatility, control, and velocity being higher than hers. Within a popping blast that startled her to a halt, Gohan raced forth into the horizon, before coming back with his hands behind his head, holding a cocky grin towards her.

"Stop showing off! I'm not able to increase my power by ten-"

"Fifty, actually."

"FIFTY TIMES?! J-Just stop that, okay?!" Videl spoke exasperatedly, groaning out at being corrected by the smug grinning Super Saiyan. As she flew at a much slower, albeit contendable speed, losing her blazing aura in the same instant as Gohan did. She slid her hands over her face, emphasizing her irritation at how Gohan handled himself, "let's forget the race..."

"Ah! Sorry, Videl," Gohan righted himself up, looking concerned that he hurt her feelings, "I didn't mean to show off. I was just getting a little competitive when I saw you moving so swift back there. I doubt my base form could keep up with the way you pulled that off."

"Really?" Videl asked incredulously, almost in disbelief. When her eyes met Gohan's honest ones, she giggled with mischief as she retorted, "I thought you did that to show off...not because you were threatened by little ol me."

"I-I-I wasn't threatened!" Gohan blushed with embarrassment, waving his right hand at the wryly grinning Videl, "I just felt a little more pushed to catch up, that's all!"

"Well I shouldn't let it go to my head then, right? Just like your big golden locks mess with yours, hmmm?" Videl asked expectantly, crossing her arms over her chest as she angled her head to the side in a demanding way.

Rolling his eyes, a lopsided grin adorned on his face as he looked away to his left, scanning the ground below, "Yeah, yeah, I get it..."

"Get what?!" Videl asked, suddenly rolling over to latch on top of Gohan, wrapping her legs around his waistline and her arms around his chest, just as her chin rested on his right shoulder, "get that we were both just being competitive, hmmm?"

Gohan's eyes widened, suddenly feeling very awkward and hot inside at the same time. As her voice tickled his ear, he couldn't help but gulp down his nervousness, as a small fraction of his pride allowed him to not stop out of shock, but continue flying forward. The uncomfortable rush of hormones also didn't help him out, causing him to mentally hope she wouldn't notice how tight his Gi suddenly became.

"Well?" Videl asked again, sounding a tad impatient.

"Ah...I...you're right! I was taking it too far!" Gohan spoke aloud with an anxious tone, feeling compelled to satisfy her and get off his back.

"See, was that too hard?" Videl asked with a whisper, before defusing her aura altogether, resting her head on the crook of his neck.

"Uh, Videl? What are you-"

"Shhhh, silly. You tired me out with that chase and I feel a little tired. Besides," Videl added with a contented smile, "you're body is really warm and...relaxing, so I'll just lie right here."

Gohan couldn't bring up words to describe the feeling that welled up within his guts. He supposed this was what butterflies in his stomach was to feel like, for he never felt like spreading a happy grin as wide as he did now. Even as he sped at a small pacing velocity, he couldn't help but enjoy the moments that he was spending with such a wonderful girl like Videl.

"_If only every day was like this, then I'd happily give up fighting forever,_" Gohan thought blissfully, as they soared across the horizon towards their destination.

* * *

After they arrived, Gohan and Videl explored the cityscape of South City.

While it was a comparably advanced city, most of the buildings were at a much lower altitude compared to West and East Cities, having quite a few areas for entertainment and recreational activities. From food stands, to an amusement part, to a water park, arcades, and various places just to walk around for scenic pleasure, Gohan and Videl spent the majority of their day just hanging out like normal kids on a casual date.

The idea that this was agreed to being a date made Gohan, and even Videl's stomach's flourish with giddiness and joy. Despite having been around each other's company alone for the past three months, they never really got to spend enough time to really get to know each other. Doing so in a casual, fun environment definitely broke down the mental and emotional walls they placed as mutual martial artists, and treated each other in a much more nonchalant manner.

As they walked down the sidewalk, with the Sun beginning to set in the horizon, Gohan stared off at the beautiful sunset while enjoying a cone of ice cream with Videl. Walking towards a curve back to the city, Gohan looked over at the dazzling radiance that was cast over the young girl, enamoring his eyes and make his heart beat against his chest.

That said heart nearly burst through his chest, as his head whiplashed to the side when Videl turned to look in his direction. Despite him not seeing her face, he could feel the knowing smile stretch across her face as she ate her ice cream with satisfaction. Before Gohan knew it, he felt his hand reaching out to grasp a hold of Videl's timidly squeezing it.

As his eyes met hers, they both smiled as they walked back into the festive like city, Videl returned the feelings silently by entwining her fingers into his own. The act of acknowledgement of his physical motion of sincere feelings to her being returned brought a sense of fulfillment like none other than before. He had gained his powers through nothing but pain, anguish, and desperation. But standing next to her, felt like he truly had something he wanted to protect and preserve. If he didn't know any better, he felt like he was truly falling in love with Videl.

Gohan didn't think his day could get any better. And in a way, it didn't.

"**My-my, don't you two look adorable together,**" A dark, eerily familiar voice permeated from the shadows and to Gohan's right side, causing him to halt in his tracks. The sound of it, rather than the recognition, was what caused his blood to grow cold and his heart pump fast with alertness. It even affected Videl, as she dropped her ice cream in a sign of startlement at hearing such a proximate voice beckon them so darkly.

"Who's there?!" Gohan's voice called out first, instinctively placing himself in between Videl and the unknown figure. Despite his best, he could sense little other than the presence that existed in the dark alleyway. All he saw, however, was a pair of glowing red eyes, as a dark chuckle pierced the air, causing the young boy to shiver and sweat with anxiety, "show yourself!"

"**What, need to see my face to remember me? Very well,**" The voice spoke with a taste of dry humor, as heavy footsteps walked purposely slow forward. As the crimson rays of the setting Sun began to flow to the edge of the alleyway, the form was revealed in its entirety. A high collared, dark brown trench coat donned over what looked like a black armored vest with matching slacks with boots beneath it. The most disturbing thing was the revealed face, donning a braided top knot with an angled visage with nothing but glaring red eyes that glowed ominously back at Gohan in particular, "**your father was always so dense, so I guess its a familial trait, Son Gohan!**"

It was at this moment, that Gohan remembered the man standing before him, and what he was when he scathingly crossed paths with him. It had been almost an entire year, but he couldn't forget the voice, nor could he forget the red lenses for mechanical eyes. But seeing them framed with glaring flesh-baring brows, gave him a whole new look of intimidation as he shouted out in alarm, just as he dropped his own cone of ice cream onto the ground with disbelief, "Tao?!"

* * *

**A/N: **_Crap Baskets._ _And with that, closes another Chapter, which was a lot shorter than most of_ the Vegeta Chronicles.

_Now, to explain to my patiently waiting fans why I'm not producing as many chapters for both THIS series and_ the Other World Saga_, I have to explain my predicament. In short, I've come to change hands with employers, and awaiting confirmation of my new job. Due to this and a number of other things transpiring in my life, its taken a little more time than usual to provide this chapters in a steadily hastened manner. But with things starting to look all in the clear, I should be able to resume my Chapter for Each schedule of releasing one for VC and one for OWS on the same week. No guarantees, just me hoping. Thank you for your patience and sticking with me this long. _

_Second note, WHEW! Over 10,000 Views?! This calls for celebration! :D -fires off many fireworks and eats giant cake- Okay, I'm done celebrating -3- But seriously, thank you all so much for your Reviews, Views, Comments, and Encouragement you sent my way. I couldn't have gotten this far without any of your contributions, and I'm glad to have you all as a fanbase to follow my progress :) _

_I hope you all enjoyed my tease at the end. With Tao upgraded and out for vengeance, how much of a threat does he pose to the deified-empowered Super Saiyan? Will Videl get caught in the crossfire?! Will South City be another victim of a superpowered brawl of titans and monsters?! _

_Tune in again on the next exciting Chapter of_ The Vegeta Chronicles!


	14. Enter the Mercinator

**THE VEGETA CHRONICLES**

* * *

**Chapter 14 - Enter the Mercinator**

* * *

"_W-What's up with this guy? How does Gohan know him?_" Videl thought with trepidation, as she peered past Gohan's insistently protective gait. The man decked in black had a malicious gaze set upon him, and didn't seem to come for pleasantries. Then who was he? Is he planning to hurt Gohan, in the middle of the city? She couldn't be sure, so she kept quiet so as not to antagonize him, and see what he wanted.

"You sound surprised to see me," Tao spoke lowly with a dark chuckle, as his gleaming red eyes scanned both of them methodically, "its not as if you dealt any damage. My hasty retreat was merely a simple tactical withdraw, so I may better re-equip myself to handle someone of your caliber."

Gohan could feel that the ex-mercenary wasn't bluffing. From the attributed new wardrobe and the removal of last gen cybernetic tech seemed to indicate he got a new employer. But he knew that this was far from a business endeavor, mercenary work or not. Tao was out for blood, and with his father no longer around, he'd be the best substitute to satiate his sick desire for slaughter.

With a sudden inhale, Gohan finally worked up the nerve to ask the obvious question, "Why are you back, Tao?"

"Do I need to spell it out for you, Saiyan filth, or are you that naive?" Tao spoke with a dark chuckle of incredulity, raising his right up towards Gohan with emphasis, "I'm here to...take your life," with that said, his fist clenched, creating an intimidating crinkle of leather against artificial flesh as his smile widened, "as recompense for the humiliation your father and you have made to me endure. Surely you didn't expect I would disappear forever, right?"

Tightening his fists, Gohan now realized what kind of man this Tao was. He realized that the stories his father and friends talked about were true, and what kind of treacherous monster he was and still is. He knew a wake-up call was in order, and make sure he wouldn't come back to hurt anyone else. Especially those less equipped to handle him...

"I kind of did, but I guess that was just hopeful thinking on my part," Gohan spoke with a snarl, his eyes glaring at the red-eyed man who stood before him and Videl, bathed in an aura of murderous intent, "but I guess you can't accept mercy well, can you? You have to push your luck don't you?"

With a diabolical cackle, Tao cracked his knuckles, baring them for use as he slowly walked towards the son and protege of Son Goku, "Notions such as mercy and defense are for the weak. Martial arts was created to annihilate your enemy, whether he be armed or have the strength of ten men. Combined with the most cutting equipment modern technology can offer, you can turn the weakest of men into unstoppable killing machines. At the level I'm at, I'm prepared to give up my life to use this newfound power to annihilate you and your wretched band of heroes!"

"You think I'm going to sit back and let that happen?!" Videl stepped around Gohan, almost succeeding to get within arm's reach of the ex-mercenary, before her arm was grasped by Gohan's left hand. Turning around, she began to protest, "let go of me-!"

"Stand back, Videl," Gohan's eyes, bore a serious edge to them that held no sense of jest or nonchalant attitude like he normally did. This was a side that Videl had yet to see up until now, "Tao's a monster and doesn't fight like ordinary people. Stand back and I'll take care of him. It should only take a few minutes."

Videl's gaze wavered, between the barbarous entity standing but a few meters away, and the young man whom held her arm insistently. She could see the figurative sparks fly between the two heated gazes, and she realized that she had no place in this fight. Not yet, anyways.

"I got it," Videl spoke tersely, but with understanding, causing her escort to let go of her arm and walk away to the Tao's left flank.

After stopping a good few meters away, Gohan spread his feet to face Tao, rearing his arms back, methodically gathering his energy and bringing it to the surface.

It seemed to take forever in the eyes of his enemy, and Videl simply stared on intently, wanting to see Gohan fight seriously in comparison to his battle against Trunks. She wanted to see him fight a villain, and his own passion and skill put truly to the test against an unknown force. For some reason, instead of being frightened, she felt her blood pump faster and her heart beat louder than ever before.

"You going to take all day, boy?" Tao asked with a chuckle, as his eyes saw the slow build-up of energy down to a thermal and x-ray level, "if you waste my time, I might get testy..."

"Patience, Tao. Do you really like the idea of all the buildings around you hailing glass from the force of energy I'm unleashing from my pores?" Gohan asked rhetorically, causing the aged martial artist to narrow his brows heatedly at his direction. Those brows widened as bioelectric tendrils discharging around Gohan's being. A blistering blue-white fire seemed to flow outwards, before streaking in a vertical manner, in sync with Gohan's growl. Within an instant, Gohan unleashed an audible yell, as his body roared with the aura of a silver-blue hue, sending dozens of crackling tendrils across his skin and clothes, causing his slightly arced bangs to become fully erect, coiling with the same energy that wrapped and crackled around his whole body.

Videl's eyes widened as she saw the voluminous bonfire of blue-white Ki thrust up into the sky, with Gohan's screaming form from its source. Despite the ferocity of the energy she felt tingling through the air, she could feel a distinct calm and soothing sensation to it. It resembled the sensation she felt when she laid upon his back, but with a far more controlled effort placed behind it. Despite the upright black bangs, she didn't see a golden hue to any of the locks. What form was this?

"So, you're going easy on me, eh?" Tao asked with incredulity, his eyes filtering the static and gave him a good estimate of his opponent's level of Ki output, "that's only half the power of your Super Saiyan form. What exactly is this Half-Assed transformation?!"

"_So, he has been spying on me,_" Gohan thought with a slight twitch to his eyes, but held nothing but a stoic glare to meet Tao's slightly confused stare, "_I wonder just how much intel he's gotten on all of us. Whoever he's working for must've given him enhanced sensory equipment that makes Dr. Gero's tech antique, or maybe just renovated accordingly. Maybe this fight will reveal a little more about where he's got this new body of his..._"

"You certainly know a lot about Super Saiyan powers, don't you?" Gohan spoke rhetorically, even as his aura bristled his clothes and hair, allowing himself to smile as he explained, "this is a twenty five times multiplied burst of power, rather than a fifty times multiplied burst. Its controlled to such an extent that I can direct all of the excess energy upwards and keep it from destroying a delicate environment, unlike a full transformation. As for the name, well, I think at one point when I went berserk as a kid, this was less refined and beautiful. You may think of it as a...False Super Saiyan form."

With a snarl, Tao growled out as he settled into a stance, "You're insulting me, aren't you? You don't think I can take you on with a fraction of your full power?! I'll make you regret...underestimating me!"

Tao's feet left the ground, as did Gohan's, leaving but two indented footprints in their wake. Videl's eyes managed to comprehend it, but only a moment too late, as the two reappeared within an instant.

Gohan found his fist grasped into the gloved hand of the cybernetic martial artist, held back with barely any shown effort on his enemy's part. A grin worked its way on Tao's face, as if proving his point.

"Wipe that smirk off your face!" Gohan shouted out angrily, swiftly moving his other hand around with his body, grappling the extended wrist that held his fist captive, leaping over and around Tao's backside. This brought him into an uncomfortable angle, allowing Gohan to hurtle Tao towards the dockside, away from the cityscape, sending a gust of wind as Tao's coat-covered body tore a rift through the airspace from the force of the throw.

Gohan took off with a burst of super-sped sprinting, somersaulting over the drop-off the road had before skidding across the sidewalk observing the sunset water.

There, Tao had landed gracefully upon the water's surface, arms clasped behind himself and grinning expectantly at Gohan.

The sheer sight of his arrogant posture lit a rare burst of rage within him, causing him to growl gutturally. Rearing back his arms, he quickly began to gather a condensed amount of Ki, causing it to hum and glow vibrantly with every passing second.

"**KA...ME...HA...ME...HA...BURST!**" Gohan shouted out, as he unleashed an enlarged sphere of blue-white energy forward, discharging nearly a dozen smaller Kamehamehas, all of them flying towards Tao with incredible velocity and concussive force.

Tao's eyes lit up an intricate HUD display, all with a crimson tint to observe the world before him. Yellow reticles lit up around each of the energy signatures, determining their speed, force, and approximate trajectory. With a dark smile, Tao allowed the cluster of Kamehamehas to close in on him, waiting until they were nearly touching his clothes. Then, he moved!

"Wh-What?!" Gohan's eyes widened with disbelief, as he watched Tao leap up with enough force to leave an indentation within the water's surface below, allowing the dozen missiles of Ki to fly right past where he was. But Gohan didn't allow his confusion to mar his concentration for long. With a precise twist on the large sphere that generated the Kamehameha Burst, all of the missiles arched gracefully upwards, spiraling towards the airborne Tao and home in on his location.

Even still, Tao twisted his body around, somersaulting and diving in between the spiraling guided energy missiles. Always a hair's breath away, Tao seemed totally at ease, and kept his arms behind his back as he grinned confidently. It almost looked like an airborne dancer, moving in and out of reach with the deadly beams of remote-controlled energy. It truly was an amazing and terrifying thing for Gohan to witness, only furthering the swelling knot of frustration building within his gut.

He had to finish him, and do it now!

Pulling one hand away from the sphere of control for his Kamehameha Burst's missiles, he leveled a single hand upwards. A golden light began to gather at the edge of his fingertips, pulsating from his palm, as he concentrated it and slowly poured energy into its epicenter. With a twist on the Kamehameha Burst sphere, the dozen energy missiles began forcefully colliding into each other.

To Tao's surprise, the energies began to ignite off each other, exploding violently and tearing apart the air pockets around him. This forced Tao to fly downwards, evading the voluminous wave of blue energy that expanded outwards above the dock's skyline. What came towards him, was something he didn't expect so soon.

"**MASENKO WAVE!**" Gohan shouted out, as he unleashed a wide blast of golden energy, fired from one hand and intending on catching Tao with his back to the flowing Kamehameha explosion above him.

**KRAK-KOOM!** When the two waves, one blue and one golden, met at the center, Tao was caught within the overlapping curtains of destructive energy. The melding of colors gave birth to a deafening magenta-tinted explosion, sending a blistering wind that shook and vibrated the cityscape for a good kilometer, while pushing away the waves just beneath its fiery maw.

Lowering his hand, Gohan narrowed his eyes, trying to feel Tao's energy. For a few moments the roiling sphere of magenta light kept him from fully sensing what lied within. Then, he found his signature, causing his mouth to curl into a bared snarl, "You've got to be kidding me!"

A sudden thunderclap brought forth such a sudden concussive wave of omnidirectional kinetic force, that the aura of magenta energy nullified completely. Hovering above Gohan, bathed in an aura of crimson-orange light, Tao chuckled with his arms crossed in front of his matte black chest, as he stared down at his opponent, looking as if he was completely unharmed.

"I told you, Gohan, didn't I?" Tao suddenly spoke from behind him, causing the boy's eyes to widen with shock, his eyes having been caught gazing at a flickering afterimage, as he could clearly feel his presence behind him as he spoke, "I told you not to underestimate me. At this level, it truly is child's play to take you down. Really, you should follow advice from your elders more often."

"Don't give me that bu-OOOOH!" Gohan began to retort, twisting on his heels to swing a fist to hammer strike his enemy's head, only to find his side hit with a wind-breaking spinning kick. This forced him to tumble head over heels, until he found his face slammed into an outstretched arm, causing him to gasp in pain, before his face was grappled and the back of his head thrust into the dock sidewalk, creating an enormous fissure of uproared concrete and water.

"I've always hated that about your father. Such an insignificant brat, thinking he can take on the world's problems on his shoulders, without ever thinking of the livelihoods people like me make. I'd snap his neck in his sleep for his insolence, if it wasn't for that damned Cell doing that for me! Ah well," Tao chuckled as he continued to ground the young Saiyan's head into the submerging crater bordering the dockside, "I guess I'll settle with you, before I go after your lovely mother-"

The dam of control that Gohan had was let loose when he heard Tao's words, dripping with disdain and despicable malicious intent. The idea of this monster, whom insulted his father, wanted to go after his mother next...he wouldn't stand for it!

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAH!" Unleashing the rest of Super Saiyan power to the surface with a deafening scream, Tao's hand was forced off Gohan's face, as he felt himself blown off by the point blank Kiai and the roaring fissure of golden energy that surfaced from the boy's body. Jettisoning from the crater, leaving a wake of debris and water to hover around him as he briefly glared at the off balance Tao, he roared out with pure hatred towards the man, holding nothing back, "I'LL KILL YOU BEFORE I LET YOU TOUCH MY FAMILY!"

**VOOM!** With a blinding flash of light, Gohan zoomed into Tao's midst, landing a solid punch against the diabolical martial artist's jaw, causing him to pinwheel across the coast of South City. His body skidded across the water's surface, spinning around before landing on his feet upon a distant cliffside, rebounding off its surface to fly back towards the charging Gohan.

When Gohan threw a punch, Tao spun to the side, slamming an elbow strike onto his crown with a orange flashing crack of force.

Even as he fell, Gohan reached down and grappled Tao's right ankle, pulling himself around and outside of the cyborg's reach, before delivering a left snap kick to the back of his head.

As he bent forward, Gohan pivoted around to grapple his other ankle and righted his body to be vertically upside down and parallel to Tao, swinging both knees repeatedly into the man's backside, creating a series of golden flashes from the thunderous impacts his body made against Tao's. Despite this, Tao managed curl his legs and flip Gohan away from his backside, and land a double palm-heel strike on his gut, propelling him away with a powerful thrust.

"Agh!" Gohan felt blood and saliva fly out of his mouth, as the breath briefly left his lung from Tao's strike. Even as he felt himself draw close to the water's surface, he could already feel Tao at his backside, lariating his spine, and halting his descent into the bay's surface. Fueled by rage and determination, Gohan righted himself and charged through a knife-hand swipe across his cheek, forgetting the fact it gave him a shallow cut, and began hammering a series of jabs into his chest, aiming to break him into pieces.

Despite the flurry of punches, whether they were parried or managed to make it through, it didn't seem like Tao was affected in the least. As if he had no sense of pain or injury, and that all the damage was being nullified by something. Throughout their barest encounters, he began to realize what he hit wasn't bones and flesh, but more like an ablative plating interweaved with artificial tissue. Something was breaking the full force of his attacks, even as a Super Saiyan!

A sudden knife-hand jab broke through, striking a bundle of nerves in Gohan's upper torso area, causing him to suddenly buckle over in pain. The fact his state was enhancing all of his senses didn't help the fact he was gasping for air, barely hovering over the water as Tao maliciously glared down at him.

"Super Saiyans. You all think you're something in this world because you can engulf yourself in a godly aura of golden energy and make yourselves look as deifyingly embodied with power like the Olympians of Greece," Tao spoke scornfully, twisting his hips around to land a kick against Gohan's jaw, sending him rolling across the dock's waters before skidding through the asphalt street. Before he could halt, Tao landed atop him, crushing him further into the ground while issuing a pain-filled yell, "your father, Vegeta, that boy Trunks, and you. You all think you're better than the rest of the world cause you have some noble ideals and a power that many would kill to get! Now look where that's gotten you!"

A series of painful slaps were heard as Tao cracked his hand painfully back and forth across Gohan's face, as he held him up by the collar of his orange gi.

"I loathe the day your ilk ever stepped foot on this planet, barbaric monkey trash!" Tao yelled as he continued to pummel Gohan's figure. Each punch created a blast of kinetic force that shattered glass, cracked the asphalt covered earth, and billowed across the air with blistering intensity.

Then, Gohan punched back.

**CRACK!** The punch was enough that Tao winced with pain and his heels skidded back, within the wake of a ear-splitting shockwave and a flash of yellow energy. Even as he felt blood drip from his lips, his red eyes widened as he saw Gohan's body engulf with an even brighter and more intense aura, his eyes glaring daggers towards Tao.

"I'm giving you one last chance, Tao!" Gohan shouted out at the ex-merc, his fists balled up tightly, and his body shaking with the bristling golden aura that glowed wide and fiercely around him, tearing apart the landscape around him, "back off, or I WILL kill you!"

Tao, for a moment, hesitated.

Never before had he ever sensed the desire to harm, let alone kill, from Goku or Gohan. The prior, as a child, was only ever compulsed to fight him when he endangered his friends and killed them before his eyes. The only reason Gohan spared him was due to his nonchalant attitude towards him, never feeling that he was a threat. But now...he could see the promise of destruction in the boy's eyes, threatening and promising retribution should he not take the opportunity to flee.

"_Never again!_" Tao reminded himself mentally, gripping his fists tightly of his own volition, as he snarled at the child set before him, as a blistering aura of crimson-orange engulfed his own being, shouting back in retort, "I will never flee from the likes of you ever again, Saiyan scum!"

The two warriors locked angered glares. Gone was the sense of gleeful or arrogant confidence. There was nothing but the drive to annihilate one another, as their auras engulfed their bodies violently and vibrantly, tearing apart the landscape around them.

* * *

"There there, mommy's got you," Chi-Chi spoke softly, picking up a crying Goten from the crib and cradling her in her arms. She had been enjoying a nice, sunny and peaceful day, with her child resting in her bed, until she abruptly awoke with tears in her eyes. As she rocked her child, she walked towards the kitchen, the TV running through its normal forecast and news as she began setting the microwave ready to warm a fresh bottle of milk.

As she did so, she couldn't help notice a sudden abrupt change in the programming, causing her to intently watch the old television from across the room, as she rocked her blubbering child.

"_We interrupt our news with an important update! Not but a few minutes ago, South City has become a battlefield for another Meta-Level conflict. While our news choppers have been keeping a distance from the actual conflict, it IS confirmed that one of the alleged Z Warriors, a Super Saiyan, is in combat with an unknown entity, identified as a man in black. Thankfully, most of the residents have moved back to the main residential areas and away from the current dockside area, making most of the collateral damage uninvolved with the citizens of South City. Now all we can do is pray, and hope that the fight ends before it escalates further..._"

As the sound of the microwave finished beeping, announcing the milk being done Chi-Chi's eyes blinked towards the open window. As she retrieved the bottle of milk, feeding it to her baby daughter, she walked over to the open fresh air and allowed the wind to caress her hair, having let it down earlier that day. She desperately hoped the feeling she had knotted within her gut wasn't right, and that fighter was her son.

Sighing, she could only rock her child as she gazed longingly out the window for her first born, wherever he may be.

"Wherever you are, Gohan, just let me know you're okay, alright? Your mother loves you very much, and she wants you to come back in one piece. For both Goten and I, please be safe," She spoke aloud, even as a tear snaked down her face, as she sadly smiled at the horizon, before turning away, hoping for the best.

* * *

**BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!** Videl's eyes widened as she saw the air alight with the two fighters' auras, as they repeatedly struck and clashed into each other sporadically within the air. One belonging to the virtuous and pure-hearted Gohan. The other, belonged to this monster from the past, named Tao. Each of them looked evenly matched, the thought giving birth to fear that constantly swelled up within her chest at witnessing such powers hellbent on destroying each other.

"Gohan..." Videl could only whisper, as she continued to try and keep track of his form, moving with incredible speed and velocity, leaving afterimages across the sky along with Tao, as they struck each other. The cacophony of ballooning eruptions of air pressure and shockwaves continued to tear across the airspace of South City, bombarding the structures and landscape below with blistering gale winds that continued to flourish in and around its foundations.

The fact that they felt like titans to her nerves caused her to shake both in trepidation and frustration. Was she capable of doing anything to help, anything at all? The question weighed heavily on her mind, even as she saw them crash a good twenty meters in the middle of the city, creating another flash of light as an enormous ball of fire erupted from the two's collision at ground level.

* * *

"You can't win this!" Tao shouted aloud, his jaw leaking blood, but for the most part looked mostly intact. Even as he continued to hammer Gohan's body, whatever material his body was now composited with was absorbing each and every blow. He smiled, knowing that the limitations of Gohan's durability was starting to buckle and his unleashing of his Super Saiyan's full power wasn't enough.

Gohan's arms sported a number of gashes and bruises, just like a great deal underneath his tearing gi, his own jaw bleeding as he sported a large bruise below his left half of his lip. Despite this, the intensity of his glare didn't waver, and the ferocity of his attacks continued to throw its all at Tao, determined to find some weakness to Tao's body.

"I will find a way!" Gohan shouted back in protest, even as his face is decked by a haymaker courtesy of Tao, "you're a man that never respected honest work and true guts. You're a coward, relying on dirty tricks and dishonest tactics to win your way to your next paycheck. You're no man deserving of victory, especially against me!"

Tao snarled aloud, as he threw a number of jabs, haymakers, and kicks against Gohan's mostly prone body, his glaring red eyes never once leaving the young man's body that he wanted to tear in half.

It wasn't until that Gohan's body began absorbing the blows, and a distinct crack of golden light began to erupt, that he realized something was wrong. Within a moment, he realized too late when Gohan's left hand grabbed an incoming punch, grappling it with bone-crushing force. His eyes began to give him an incredible rise of power, and Gohan's eyes locked onto his with a murderous glare.

"You want to see my full power, Tao? Well here it is!" Gohan shouted out as his aura intensified, and began to blind Tao's enhanced optics as his power engulfed the area around him.

* * *

The Namekian ex-Guardian of Earth was training, as usual. His body, constantly cycling the energy in and out of his weighted clothing, along with the necessary absorption of sunlight, constantly put his body through its paces and nourished his body. His concentration was locked on his actions, not bothering to focus his senses or his perception of the planet below.

That is, until he felt Gohan's sudden power spike.

"G-Gohan!" Piccolo's eyes widened with alarm and shock. Not only could he hear the deafening scream beyond the horizon, thousands of meters below the sky, but he could feel the defining pressure and sensation of his maximum power breaching the surface. The power of a Super Saiyan 2. For him to have to resort to such a measure, caused Piccolo to stand at attention.

Dende himself rushed out into the Lookout's courtyard, along with Mr. Popo, looking quite worried about what he himself sensed.

"Mr. Piccolo! D-Did you just feel what I-"

"About Gohan, yeah," Piccolo nodded, his cloak flourishing within the high altitude's wind, as his brow sweat slightly from what he was feeling. With a knitting of his brows inwardly, he concentrated on his incredible sense of hearing, in sync with his fluent sense of the energy he had a lock on, to understand what was going on, "it seems like an old nemesis decided to pick a fight with Gohan. Its surprising that he's giving him a run for his money, but it seems like its going to be over soon..."

"S-Shouldn't we go help him?" Dende asked with an earnest tone of worry for his friend.

"Now, Dende. Whatever conflict Gohan is locked within, we should leave it up to him," Mr. Popo advised Dende, consoling him with a pat to his back.

With a sign of him clenching his staff, Dende could only nod with understanding.

"Besides, if there's an enemy that Gohan can't take care of himself, then the only other person out there right now that can would be Vegeta. I'd rather wait and see how this plays out before making any decision," Piccolo spoke honestly, his hands relaxing their grip, though he didn't resume his squatted stance, "but I will step in if his life becomes in danger. You can guarantee that!"

* * *

"Gohan?" Vegeta's eyes widened, his hand grabbing a sport's drink from the fridge, having witnessed the power emanating within the horizon. From what it felt like as he concentrated, it was due south, close to the coast, "what the Hell is going on?!"

Walking quickly over to the Living room, the heir to the Saiyan throne turned on the TV with the remote before reclining on the couch, only having to wait a second to see what the newscast was about.

"We're getting Live feeds here. I'm not joking, one of the Z Warriors is one of those golden haired fighters, and is currently unleashing a huge source of energy and light. Its playing havoc with our equipment, but from the farthest cameras, it looks like a pillar of golden fire is soaring into the sky, causing the sky to be filled with clouds, which is now issuing a storm on what was supposed to be a clear night sky...!"

"HA! Nice one," Vegeta chuckled as he uncapped the bottle of blue flavored liquid contents, gulping it down before smiling with dark humor, "whoever pissed Kakarot's pup off is going to be in for a rude awakening. I guarantee you I'd not like to be on the receiving end for what he's about to unleash."

* * *

"**RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!**" Gohan's voice shouted out, all the while holding Tao's fist within a vice grip. The force of the Kiai unleashed from his wafting golden energy singed Tao's skin, while distorting his vision. Even as his aura quieted down, a constant crackling of bio-electricity danced around Gohan's intensified golden hair, and flowed across his skin and torn clothes.

This was the true moment that Tao's fear showed through his rage contorted face.

"This is the end, Tao!" Gohan shouted out with fury, turning around on his heels and throwing up into the air.

Tao couldn't control his ascent, his body flying at angle, almost like a spear, towards the upper atmosphere. With a swift ejection of Ki from his body's mechanisms, he managed to halt after a good few seconds, but was only greeted by a downwards kick by a sudden materialized Gohan. It struck his back with enough force to crack the hidden, intricate ablative armor within his body. Seeing the damage warnings caused him to yell out with alarm.

"_N-No! This can't be! Doctor Halo said the MK I Kinetic Armor was supposed to absorb enough damage from impacts and explosions to nullify completely! Why isn't it working?!_" Tao thought with widened eyes of incredulous disbelief.

Before he could finish his thoughts, Gohan was already upon him. Every action he made, even the hyper-sped analysis software built within his ocular sensors, seemed to move in slow motion. Gohan's hand was enraptured with a thick gout of bio-electrical energy, moving forth with intensity to seem to appear as if it was a condensed fissure of lightning.

When it struck his chest, he heard something pop, before his whole body became alight with electrical fury, and his chest bled out, as his chestplate became cracked and dented. What's worse, is that he felt himself being carried by the current of energy, thrusting him into the horizon almost too fast for his senses or instruments to calculate. The only solace he had was that his strikes didn't continue, and he allowed himself to be carried far away.

"_Damn you, Son Gohan!_" He thought as his body soon carried off towards setting Sun's horizon.

* * *

"I-Is it over?" Videl whispered aloud, coughing slightly from the kicked up dust formed from the debris-ridden battlefield. When she looked around, she could tell Gohan did his best to avert his fighting from the populated areas, but it didn't save anything on property damage. Buildings were crushed, smashed, or had their windows shattered.

"It will be," Gohan suddenly spoke, appearing right next to her within a heartbeat.

This caused her to briefly squeak in surprise, taking a few steps back before fully seeing the state he was in. His body had sustained significant amount of beatings, part of his upper half of his Gi being torn and shredded in several areas, revealing purple swellings and discolorations, showing signs of bludgeoning and impacts from Tao's attacks. Even his arms were covered by scratches and cuts, the most noticeable being his his lower left lip being bruised and his right cheek being cut.

But the way he breathed, and the sound of his stoic voice, he might as well not been wounded at all, in Videl's eyes.

"How do you know that? You just hit him-" Videl began to say, before Gohan's eyes closed, interrupting her.

"With enough force to make him do a nearly complete lap across the planet. He is slowing down, but he won't be landing anywhere around here. He'll probably be landing on one of the islands east of here," he spoke with certainty, making a full analysis with his enhanced senses and the energy he perceptively locked onto that flew around the world with incredible force.

"Whoa...you hit him that hard, huh?" Videl could only stare with amazement, truly struck in awe by how truly powerful Gohan was. He was still a boy, one with ideals and innocence about him that made him seem like anyone else. But the way he held himself. The composure he retained while even sustaining so many injuries, and focusing on his enemy, he might as well been a veteran five times his age.

"As hard as I could," Gohan said with a wry grin, as he looked in the opposite direction of the set Sun, and across the cityscape towards the ocean. With a brief, deep inhale, barely heard behind the constant thrumming of his power that crackled and vibrantly glowed across his whole outline, he spoke in a quiet tone, "please stay here. I don't want you to see...what I am about to do to him."

Videl could feel her breath catch at her throat. She wasn't sure if he was going to follow-up with what he swore to Tao, with the intention to kill. She thought it was an act, and that he wouldn't ever take a life, unless he was forced to. For as long as she known him and what she heard about him, he never took a life, even when in self defense. The fact he was going to do it almost felt wrong.

Almost, being the word. The man sought him out, with nothing but malicious intent, and Gohan tried to keep from fighting him. If the man had been this stubborn now, and he left him alone, he'd probably come back more prepared than the last time.

"Gohan, you know I-" Videl tried to argue, but before she realized it, Gohan had vanished. He left to take care of the man who tried to harm the ones he loved and kill him in cold blood.

Tightening her fists, Videl felt her energy rise to the surface, coating her in a aura of transparent silver light. With a sudden leap, she rose into the air, before flying eastward, locking onto Gohan's definite signature of frighteningly high energy.

She knew he had an obligation to protect everyone he cared about. But, she knew that her obligation was to protect him. If not from others, than from himself.

* * *

Gohan soared across the ocean, looking for Tao.

He was intent on ending the life of this miserable creature that he's evolved into. He was looking for death, now that he had no desire to run away anymore. The idea of letting him run loose, only to kill one of his friends outside of his reach, caused the anger within him to boil even hotter. He knew Videl would just get in the way of what needed to be done.

He hesitated with Cell, and that costed his father's life. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice!

Finally, he saw an island, about a couple kilometers wide and a handful more long. It was desolate and isolated, thankfully was devoid of any habitable lifeforms. As he turned he saw a large crater right within its epicenter, having cleared what few trees and shrubbery there was on it. As he drew near, he crossed his arms, seeing the body of his enemy contorted within the smoldering crater, almost without any energy output at all left. He was now nothing more than a machine, with little biology left him in, only there to spur on genuine hate towards him.

In Gohan's mind, this would be a mercy killing.

With a wry smile, Gohan shouted down to his visible form, "Mind lying down there so I can step on your neck?"

The response, wasn't close to what he was hoping for.

**CRACK!** Gohan suddenly felt a fist wedge into his lower back, purposely and accurately aimed at something along the base of his spine. While the force didn't instill too much pain, nerve cluster or not, what happened to him caused the blood to drain from his face with realization. His aura became less fierce, and he could feel the nigh limitless energy reserves of his Super Saiyan 2 dissipate and then slip away. Somehow, Tao had managed to seal his ultimate power!

With a dark chuckle, Tao retracted his fist from Gohan's back, as his horrified face came to sideglance him with shock, "I should be asking you the same thing, boy."

"You bast-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Gohan began to say, turning to face him, before feeling an unsettling kick to his chest force the wind out of his lungs. Pinwheeling downwards, he landed right next to the crater of which his enemy supposedly landed on.

Wincing, he looked over and saw it flickering, noticing a small box lying on top of the ashen layered earth.

"H-Hologram box?" Gohan asked with incredulity.

"You hurt me pretty bad, I'll give you credit on that, Saiyan brat," Tao spoke aloud from above, evidence to his words by torn shirt and the apparently dented armor wrapped around his cybernetic armor, still crackling from the impact. Even part of his face's tissue had been torn off around his eyes, showing marred metallic skeletal outlines, with his left eye looking more like a machine's than a demon's now, "but thankfully my equipment remained intact. I cloaked my body's energy the moment I hit the crater. After a few seconds of setting it up, you never saw me circling around to your blindspot. Thank you, for being so confident in the damage that your punch had, believing it could incapacitate me long enough for your execution."

"I'm...far...from...done...yet!" Gohan growled out, pushing himself upwards with effort, uttering a pained growl as clenched his own chest with his left hand, gasping for air, finding new blood dripping out of his mouth and washing his mouth from the injury he sustained.

"Oh, I believe you are," Tao chuckled darkly, raising a finger upwards, beginning to charge an orange sphere that gradually began to increase in mass, culminating in a large amount of energy, "now do me a favor and let this hit you. I rather this be the last time I have to use this technique and have it fail to kill the target."

"Your life ends here, Tao!" Gohan shouted out, clasping his wrists back to his hip, swiftly gathering as much energy as he could spare, while keeping what he could on reserve.

This was it. All or nothing. He knew if he didn't make this work, he'd be annihilated with the island, and nothing would stop him from hurting his mom, his sister, Videl. Everyone he cared about was on the line. He had to kill him now!

"KA...ME...HA...ME...HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Gohan shouted aloud as he thrust his palms out, discharging a narrow, pillar-sized Kamehameha directly towards Tao's body.

"**Dodon Ray!**" Tao responded with a shout of his own, discharging an equally sized beam of orange-white light, slamming into the Kamehameha, sending a powerful impact wave to shake the island below and kick up a huge wave behind Tao and in front of the island. The beams clashed, grinding against each other, trying to overpower each other, to reach the caster's body beyond it.

Then, the orange ray advanced, and then cut through the Kamehameha effortlessly, until it slammed directly atop Gohan's body and created an enormous explosion, consuming nearly half a mile of the island's gait.

Tao sneered with satisfaction, as his eyes tried to scan the area for life.

Suddenly, he saw the golden aura, still thrumming and Gohan still hovering above the water-sunk crater the island recently attained. His upper half of his gi had been completely blown away, his skin marred with burns and scratches, but somehow, he managed to repel the blast with the palms of his hands, both of which were blackened and burned much moreso than the rest of his body.

"I'm going to make you regret that!" Tao snarled, his body charging downwards moving too fast for Gohan's wounded frame to react. A powerful haymaker forced him to spin around in a pinwheel motion, before his ankle was grabbed harshly. Moving towards the rest of the intact island, he slammed his body against several trees, cleaving them cleanly with his durable body, before following-up with a downwards slam into the island repeatedly.

Each painful crunching motion ushered more blood and saliva from his mouth. It felt as if his entire body hurt all over, and he could barely muster enough energy to even flail his arms in protest. But to Tao's best efforts, it seemed that Gohan refused to relinquish the aura of his Super Saiyan form, and release the waning energy reserves that kept him alive.

Letting go of his ankle, Tao let the Super Saiyan catch his wind as he prepared another Dodon Ray. This time, he'd make sure it'd be suited to penetrate his durable body, and pierce his heart. As the sparks of orange bio-electricity emitted from his finger tip, he chuckled darkly with satisfaction, finally going to reclaim his dignity and gain the revenge he desperately dreamed of against the boy and his father.

"Any last words, Son Gohan?" Tao asked with a cackle.

"I wonder...how cowards...are treated in Hell..." Gohan asked rhetorically, a smile briefly stretched across his lips, as he glared at his enemy, "cause I'm pretty sure the guys...that...my dad saw die...would chew you up...for breakfast!"

"Why you little-!" Tao began to snarl out, the energy crackling with instability as he pointed it at him with an angry half-finished retort.

But it wasn't exactly whom he expected to interrupt him.

Within the horizon, something sped past the sound barrier, and was completely engulfed in white flames. It looked as if a shooting star had been launched, and was directly locked in on the standing man's body.

When it struck his chest, the energy briefly shimmered, revealing the tensed and glaring form of Videl herself!

What Gohan witnessed caused his mind to flashback, remembering a time when he was but a child. He remembered when he saw his father pinned to the ground, in pain, crying out in agony as his uncle intended on murdering him for his kindness and mercy. He ripped through his prison, and slammed his small head into the barbarous man's breastplate.

He couldn't help but feel nostalgic, and realize the desire he had to fight. It wasn't to kill the man hurting his dad. It was to protect the one he loved from the evil man hurting him. Shame overcame him, as he realized his intent, and his eyes snapped back to the present.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!" Tao felt himself utter out in pain and agony, as Videl's raw force, packing enough penetrative power due to the speed she flew at, shattered the armor over his torso, and ripped through his body, blasting out through the other portion of his damaged plating on his back. The shockwave sent the ex-merc off his feet, tumbling a few meters, and caused Gohan to tumble head over heels a meter himself.

Sorely, he picked himself up onto his haunches, and saw a stumbling teenaged girl walk towards her. Her brow was caked with soot, and her clothes had been marred by the contact with spearing through the man's body. She was panting, obviously having put everything she had in reaching him and slamming into the villain standing over him.

"Are you okay, Gohan?" Videl asked, her eyes welling with tears, and her voice quivering with worry.

Gohan couldn't help but find himself at a lost for words, even hesitation to answer her. He came with the clear intent of executing a man, possibly a helpless one had he not proved as durable as he thought. If she came here now, to see him being the one standing over Tao's fallen body, what would she have done instead?

Bowing his head, he shakily replied, "Y-Yeah...I'm...fine. Just a little tired-"

"Good," Videl responded curtly.

**SLAP!** Before Gohan realized what happened, Videl had slapped him across his face, causing it to sting, despite the power still keeping him protected and alive this long. When he blinked as he reached up to his swelling left cheek, he turned to regard her with confusion, before her angry eyes overflowed with tears.

"Never take off like that again, especially with the intent of killing a man in cold blood!" Videl rebuked him loudly, huffing and puffing as her face became reddened with tears that continued to be shed, "did you ever think what I would've felt if I saw you, or knew that you executed someone, perhaps could've been helpless before you?! Do you know what kind of person you could turn into if you allowed yourself to kill someone out of hate?! It turns you into something foul, unpleasant, and cold! I...I don't want the warm, kind-hearted, loving Gohan I know stoop that level, ever!"

Gohan looked down in true shame. Squatting before the person he possibly cherished more than his own family, he couldn't shake off the guilt of having almost let her down in the worst possible way. Its true, when his dad fought, he fought to protect others and to keep villains from continuing their misbegotten ways. When he was told by 16 to let go of his restraint, it was to protect others, not killing Cell to prove a point.

In the end, he looked forward to the end of the fight just as much as his would-be killer did.

"I'm sorry, Videl. I...I was so wrapped up in my own fear, so angry, that I didn't think of the consequences," Gohan humbly apologized to her, with his head bowed, not daring to look her in the eyes, "I hope this doesn't mean-"

"Oh shut up!" Videl whispered, as she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him close, "just...know that I forgive you, and that I'm glad you're okay."

"Okay," Gohan spoke with relief, as a smile worked its way up to his face, letting his aura slowly diminish, leaving only golden bangs. Within a few seconds, he would totally release his power, so he could just spend a few moments of solitude-

"Such touching moments...truly wants to make me vomit," sickening words suddenly caused the young embracing couple to pale and their blood to go cold. They both looked over and saw Tao on his feet, his left hand ineffectively trying to cover up the obvious cybernetic and artificial insides that dripped and crackled within the gaping hole that he now sported. All that was left was nothing but an animalistic drive to kill, and nothing else, "that is, if my insides were still intact!"

SHINK! A blade extended from the shredded sleeve within a compartment on his right arm, allowing him to move in close so he could deliver the kill effectively.

"You're lucky my armor was damaged and my sensors were on the fritz, wench, cause that little stunt wouldn't have worked! Now, if you'd be so kind as to lie there helplessly," Tao cackled maniacally, as he smiled with fluids and blood flowing down his lips as he stood over them, "and...DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEE!"

Within an instant, Gohan pulled Videl around to lie on her back, as he looked over his shoulder, using his backside as a shield to dampen the incoming slash from the treacherous, seemingly unstoppable Tao.

But the slash didn't come.

Instead, a large, trench coat enraptured form landed without warning only a meter away from the to-be killer and the two young adults.

The two teenagers didn't recognize him, but could feel a defining dark, cold aura hanging about him. As if any attempt to sense anything about him became numbed, and dulled. Making his next words all the more intimidating and authoritative, "Tao, what are you doing here?"

"T-Trench?!" Tao's eyes locked onto the opaque-shades, as his own body felt cold being so close to him while being caught within the delicate act of claiming his desired vengeance, "w-what are you-?!"

"Your mission was reconnaissance, not assassination. If you could call assaulting a Saiyan in the middle of a city worth the notion of subtly deserving of the term," He spoke with disdain and disappointment, his right hand unpocketing as he turned to face him fully.

Gohan's eyes widened at just how big the man was. Standing almost seven feet tall, the man must have been solidly composed of muscle, as his black fatigues hiding his body clearly showed the outline of his enlarged muscles, barely contained by the enormous coat that he wore over his broad shoulders, overlapping with his billow-cuffed black slacks and boots.

"S-Sir, if you'd allow me to explain, I can-" Tao tried to convince his employer and superior his position, but he never got the chance to.

"Your usefulness is at a end, Tao," Trench spoke as he walked a few steps towards the cybernetic, disemboweled crony of his, "you're relieved of command, **permanently**."

It happened too fast for even Gohan's eyes to see. Before Tao could even utter another word of retaliation, what little was left of his midriff was sliced in half, causing his body to split into two halves, falling in two directions. Steam rolled up from where the point of severance was made, showing instant decay of organic tissue with whatever caused the cut in the first place, releasing a nauseous scent in the air.

"T-Trench...pl-please...I..." Tao struggled to raise a hand towards his imminent executioner, whom raised a boot over his head.

Without a second's hesitation, Trench crushed Tao's metal-lined skull, releasing a spastic sparking sound in sync with a wet splash of what passed as artificial and organic brain matter. The arm that reached towards its killer fell limply onto the ground, causing both halves to cease functioning and movement altogether, lying still and inactive.

Tao, the Mercenary, was dead.

Gohan breathed shaky, hesitant breaths, as Trench's body was mere inches away from his extended legs. The sensation felt like his skin was growing cold, and the sudden slowing of circulation to the limb most proximate to him. It was chilling, both figurative and literal, to be even close to this being. What exactly was this man, and why did he kill Tao, seeing he obviously worked for him? He wished he could muster up the nerve to ask, even challenge him for killing someone right in front of him, but he didn't have the will or the strength to move to stop someone like that.

Trench then looked down at Gohan and Videl's shaking forms, both of them looking as if they were looking at the grim reaper itself.

"Do not misunderstand my intentions, Son Gohan. I only came here to ferret out effective discipline to those who disobey directives and orders. Your death may have not been the mission, but it certainly wouldn't have hindered our goals if it came to pass," Trench spoke directly to the young boy, not even batting an eye at the girl he hunched over protectively.

Videl, however, seemed to take initiative and ask an obvious question, "Then why did you keep that guy from killing us?"

"Simple. Allowing him the satisfaction of gaining his vengeance would've been a disgrace upon my part, for he wasn't given any such order enabling him to do such a blatantly public act," Trench responded coolly.

Gohan swallowed a lump of fear down his throat, as he locked his eyes upon Trench's shade-covered orbs, "Then what is your agenda, _Trench_?"

The man stared back silently, almost as if he was going to deny Gohan the answer. Turning on his heels, he picked up the headless torso and pair of legs that used to be Tao, and flung them over his right shoulder. Returning the gaze over his left side, Trench spoke with a foreboding tone, "The only thing you should know is that we've been a part of this world almost as long as civilizations have been in existence. Only now do we possess the strength to deliver direct and effective retribution against those who disrupt our plans. Make note to tell that to your fellow band of vigilantes, the next time you see them, Son Gohan. Your day of reckoning will be upon you, sooner than you think."

And within the blink of an eye, the large man disappeared, taking any evidence of his appearance with him.

* * *

The breath of relief leaving both Gohan and Videl came almost instantaneously, as if they were holding back something with great trepidation, foreign to them both. What caused them to fear that man so much, by just a fleeting encounter? Was it the act of him precisely and effectively murdering an associate of his that's been vowing for their blood so callously? Or was it that unnerving cold aura he seemed to project, being around anything that was even close to him?

Whatever it was, it allowed Gohan to roll off Videl with an exaggerated sigh, whispering aloud, "Thank goodness...that's over...whew..."

"You act more tired than you do sore," Videl pouted her lips with a roll of her eyes, looking at the wounded frame of Gohan de-power back to normalcy, his raven locks relaxing and his eyes returning to onyx eyes returning back to their innocent gleam, "are you sure you're okay?"

"Oh yeah, never better," Gohan chuckled wearily, a smile stretching on his face as he closed his eyes, "Tao may have been no Cell or Bojack, but he was certainly a tough guy. I'm pretty sure if I hadn't hit him with my full power, there'd been no way to slow him down."

"Well you won in the end," Videl spoke with a smirk, as she flexed her right arm in emphasis as she winked at him, "with a little help from yours truly."

"You sure did," Gohan said with a smile of appreciation, his eyes looking into hers with relief, "I can't believe your speed-up maneuver you used packed so much punch. Maybe it has to do with something about the condensation of energy and the speed. If I hadn't seen your aura wavered upon impact, I could have sworn you were like a comet or a shooting star."

"Maybe I should name this epic technique. How does **Soaring Comet** sound?" Videl asked with a giggle, enjoying herself with how much she improved within the last nine months of training.

"Sounds great. Who knows? Maybe you'll be able to perfect it to a point where you can build up that speed without needing time to work up the momentum. Could be a nice sneak attack, you know?" Gohan suggested with a wink of his own.

"Glad you had so much faith in me, dear master," Videl stood up, giving a mock curtsy to Gohan with a laugh.

Sitting upright, Gohan groaned as he stood up, now feeling the full extent of his injuries catch up to him, "I wouldn't call me master, let alone teacher. I don't exactly teach as good as Trunks, let alone set a good example like him."

"But you've showed me a lot, and taught me things I've never even dreamed of. By the last month Trunks was here, I'm pretty sure you were doing the majority of the explanations, while you trained right next to me. It helped me a lot more than you believe, mister," Videl shook a finger at him in a feigned, chiding tone.

Spinning his upper body side to side, Gohan couldn't help but smile appreciatively at Videl, "It means alot to hear that, Videl."

"Well, you know, I have yet to thank you for protecting me," Videl smiled with a flush of warmth spreading across her cheeks, walking towards him while twisting her right pigtail around her right forefinger, "and for the wonderful day we spent together at South City."

Gohan felt his cheeks flush as he saw Videl walk closer and closer, her words making even his ears turn pink with bashfulness. Closing his eyes, he tried to laugh it off like his dad would when he was embarrassed, scratching the back of his head as he responded, "Oh well, that was nothing really! I'm just glad you had a good tim-MMMM?!"

When Gohan's eyes opened, he found Videl's lips had latched onto his, kissing him deeply as her arms wrapped around his neck. For a few moments, there was confusion and alarm, having never had anyone be this close he liked, let alone kiss him!

But then, he felt the butterflies in his stomach finally take flight, and a feeling of utter relief and happiness glowed within his core. The Saiyan boy's skin tingled and an enjoyable warmth spread from his stomach all the way to his toes and fingertips, giving him the most wonderful sensation of pure joy within his young body. His eyes slowly closed, as he began to deepen the kiss, wrapping his arms around her back to hold her closer.

As the light from the horizon eclipsed into darkness, Gohan and Videl treasured this one special moment they had together. With both of them entwined, they couldn't have felt better, after all they went through that day.

* * *

**A few hours later...**

After spending some time alone, cuddled on the battle-scarred island on their backs stargazing, Videl thought it was time that someone took a look at his injuries. Fine or not, she didn't want see her man covered in blood and bruises. She thought it looked quite unbecoming for such a strong fighter such as him. With only a minute of banter, Gohan finally relented, and decided to leave the island behind.

Despite all they went through, Gohan insisted on carrying Videl up to the Lookout. Knowing the current impassive nature Vegeta would've had, as well as the lack of proper medical facilities for a quick recuperation at Capsule Corp, he knew that Dende could heal himself with ease and at a much faster rate than any magical beans Korin had to offer.

Throughout their flight, Gohan held Videl in the insistent bridal style, her arms comfortably wrapped around his neck while her eyes never left Gohan's smiling face. Who knew that throughout all the trouble they faced with Tao that their day would end on such a happy note? It was something to take comfort in, having already dealt with more than enough hardship the two of them could stand for one day.

"There it is!" Gohan spoke happily, his eyes meeting Videl's to direct her attention at the floating structure, hovering high within the sky.

It was Videl's first time laying her eyes on it. She couldn't help but gape at its intricate design of the underside of the magnificent, ancient, and gleaming fortress of solitude that hung within the lower atmosphere of Earth. She wondered how long it was there, and if it was one of the few hidden wonders that humanity had yet to discover on the planet.

When they climbed higher, the young human martial artist could only gasp as she saw marvelously constructed top portion of the hideout. Glistening white tiles enamored its surface, giving it a polished and well kempt appearance. Semi-circle aligned layouts of pine trees circled around the outside of the Lookout's surface, with a row of parallel aligned palm trees leading up to the entrance of a golden and alabaster trio of towers, sitting upon a golden cylinder shaped structure. Pointing in three directions were scarlet, sun-roofed entrances leading up to the main structure.

"Neat, huh?" Gohan asked with a grin, shaking Videl out of her stupor of observing the surface of the structure's top.

"I-I...I've never seen anything so beautiful before," Videl uttered with amazement and wonder, truly thrilled to see something like this in person.

"Yeah, I had the same reaction when I came up here too," Gohan said with agreement, as they began to hover over the legendary, archaic Lookout, just taking in the night christened sight.

It wasn't long, until they spotted Piccolo's turban and cape donned person exiting the front entrance along with Dende and Mr. Popo, all of them coming out to greet them.

"Mr. Piccolo!" Gohan spoke aloud with excitement, quickly descending to the Lookout's ground, right before his first true mentor and teacher of martial arts.

"I see you're still alive," Piccolo spoke with a wry grin on his face, his eyes knowingly looked over Gohan's person, "but it looks like you went through one Hell of a workout, didn't you?"

"Yeah, you could say that, haha!" Gohan chuckled with acknowledgement, scratching the back of his head as he set Videl onto her feet.

"Who was the guy unlucky enough to piss you off?" Piccolo asked curiously, not having truly deciphered if everything he heard and sensed from the battle after Gohan's rage exploded was true or not, "it sounded like he knew you."

"It was Tao," Gohan answered with a more level tone, his eyes stared seriously at his aghast mentor, "the guy was just about as strong as Cell was at his Perfect Form, but not much more than that. It was freaky. He could raise his energy and still use Ki techniques, but he could conceal it well enough he might as well have been an Android. He relied too much on dirty tricks and tech to give him an advantage over me, so he let his guard down, leaving him open for a sneak attack by Videl."

"Wait a minute!" Piccolo gasped aloud in shock, looking over at Videl's athletic, yet petite form with near disbelief, "you're saying she's the one who took the guy you had trouble with down?!"

"That's right," Videl made a peace sign towards Piccolo, smiling gleefully in admission, "he may have softened the guy up, but I was the one to really take him down a notch or two."

"Wow...I've noticed you increased in strength, but I couldn't have imagined that you would be the one to put someone down that even Gohan couldn't put in his place," Piccolo spoke with amazement, a bead of sweat crawling down his green scalp with nervousness. He could sense the progress she was making, and was in awe how much the teachings she's taken to heart from both Trunks and Gohan's tutelage. But with a sigh, he asked knowingly with a serious tone with finality, "but, you're not the one who killed Tao, are you?"

"Uh...um...no," Videl lowered her hand, her eyes blinking widely with shock, "how...did you...?"

"I could feel the fight when Gohan's power skyrocketed, even from here. I was able to keep a good track of it, combining my sense of hearing with what I felt of the energies being projected and utilized at the battle's zenith. However, I did sense another power, one far greater and very dark that came onto the island where you saw him die," Piccolo explained, striking Videl speechless with how knowledgeable he was on the situation, while causing Gohan's smile to fade to a serious grimace.

"Yeah, Tao knew him, and he seemed like his boss. I doubt he's the only one either," Gohan confirmed with an upraised hand, balling it into a tightened fist, "he calls himself Trench, and he's pure evil. He killed Tao without hesitation, and didn't have a single ounce of remorse. I could almost touch him and my body could feel cold just being near him. His aura makes Frieza look like a simple thug in comparison to what I feel from him."

"Its what I was afraid of," Piccolo spoke lowly with narrowed eyes, grimacing visibly in front of all the others, "a new enemy, huh? Obviously they had a hotshot who wanted to jump the gun and his boss didn't like that. There must be some sort of elaborate plan. To think that humans would be the real enemy, instead of off worlders, is something else entirely."

"Yeah, I know," Gohan nodded with affirmation, "these guys might be just as bad or worse than Doctor Gero."

With a sigh, Piccolo smiled with relief as his eyes met Gohan and Videl's, "At least you two made it out in one piece. Let Dende have a look at you before we get something for you to eat. We can discuss strategy when you're properly attended to."

"Of course," Popo nodded humbly, turning on his heels as he walked back to the Lookout, intending on setting up a reasonably sized meal. Piccolo may not eat, and Videl may just be a normal girl, but Gohan's appetite was in league with his father's. He knew a big spread would be in order to satisfy the young child of Goku if he was to be completely sated.

"Here," Dende offered, setting his walking stick down to approach Gohan, placing his hands over Gohan's right arm. Within but a few moments, most of Gohan's external and internal injuries were healed. A brief gasp emerged, as Dende's eyes widened as he felt a bundle of nerves that had been swollen near his spine. Concentrating harder, the orange glow heightened a bit, causing Gohan to feel a sharp tingling across his skin, before an audible pop in his back was heard, and a breath of air exhaled out of his mouth, "there! All the injuries, both external and internal have been healed."

"Thanks, Dende!" Gohan spoke thankfully, flexing his arms and twisting his body around, feeling all of the soreness vanish and his strength return to normal, "I feel as good as new!"

"Its been awhile since I've seen you hurt that bad. Its fortunate I've spent some time improving my medical skills during this brief time of peace we've had," Dende spoke informally with a smile, leaning down to pick his staff, and look back at them confidently with his free arm upraised, "Piccolo has taken some time to teach me when he hasn't been busy with his own training, on controlling my energy and building it up. Mr. Popo and I even take some time cleaning this place up, updating places that needed it, even had the Hyperbolic Time Chamber set up just before-...uh..."

When Dende paused, he began to sweat nervously. It was even at this point that Piccolo frowned at him, crossing his arms as he asked the young Namekian Guardian of Earth impatiently, "What?! Before what?!"

"Uh...well...you see...its been a little...occupied for awhile now, haha!" Dende laughed sheepishly, scratching his chin nervously as he felt two pairs of eyes stare intently, belonging to Gohan and Piccolo, while Videl stared dumbfounded at him.

"THE HELL ITS OCCUPIED!" Piccolo shouted at the top of his lungs, comically yelling at Dende who looked incredibly small in comparison to the mighty ex-Guardian, towering over him with balled fists sporting protruding veins along his knuckles, "YOU AND POPO TOLD ME THAT IT WAS UNDER _MAINTENANCE_, NOT BEING **OCCUPIED**! AND THAT WAS MONTHS AGO!"

"Well...you see...you were in deep meditation and...we discussed this privately and...well, it seemed like he really wanted to do it-!" Dende twiddled his thumbs needlessly, staring at his squirming feet while his staff leaned precariously against left shoulder.

"Why you little-!" Piccolo growled at Dende, balling his fist towards him before turning away with an angered huff, "you shouldn't have made a decision like that, not with how wet behind the ears you are at being a Guardian."

"Dende," Gohan's eyes widened, as he walked up to his friend and placed his hands on his shoulders, a look of alarm coming over him as his mind raced at the implications of what he heard, "is this true? Has one of my friends walked into the Chamber and hasn't come out for months?!"

"A-A-Almost exactly three months, to this day! In fact, he should be out any minute from now!" Dende spoke hopefully, though a hint of fear could be seen behind his eyes.

A voice suddenly coughed, and the two mutually aged boys looked over at a dryly staring Videl, propping her fists on her hips.

"Uh, not to be rude but can we back up please. What the heck is a Hyperbole Time Chamber?" Videl asked incredulously, not quite understanding what kind of structure they were referring to.

Piccolo however decided to cut in, turning to face all three children at once with arms crossed over his chest, "As the former Guardian of the Lookout, its best I should explain what it exactly is that you just misused, Dende, for the sake informal education for this sharp mind here. The Hyperbolic Time Chamber is an ancient dimension, having been tapped into by a door within this place. A solid rift, connected from this world to the other, where on this side time passes how we perceive it, but in there, time passes at a much slower rate. Temperatures fluctuate, gravity becomes denser, and its a pitch white blanket of endless space from the accommodations provided behind the doorway. Wander you far, and you may be helpless and trapped until you starve to death, forever to be forgotten. Train smart, and you can gain a year's training in a single day."

Videl's eyes nearly popped out she was so speechless. Time Chambers used for training? Aliens? Ki used into potent energy blasts? Cyborgs? Time Travelers? Was there nothing sane about this world she just discovered?!

"Videl, you okay?" Gohan asked out loud, waving a hand in front of her dazed face, bringing her back to the present.

Shaking her head, Videl furrowed her brows as she stared back up at Piccolo. Demanding to know more she continued to speak, "Okay, so you're saying that the chamber is just a title for what is another dimension where time is faster. What's to keep someone from accidentally staying there too long. After all, if time is altered, wouldn't your perception of time be shaken awry as well?"

"There's a calendar and a clock within the living quarters on the other side, so you can technically keep track of time the way it would be for you normally. This way when you're training, you can set a specific routine to gain R-&-R in between your regiment of discipline you set for yourself. Also, the amount of time you spend in there is purposely restricted by a timed lock from the outside. A specific alarm sounds at the exact amount of time goes off, and the door becomes unfastened on both sides," Piccolo then looked over at Dende, his eyes glaring at him before returning back to Videl, "but there's a catch to how long you can stay in there. Food stores within the quarters set up on the other side of the doorway can only be furnished and rationed effectively for a standard 2 years of stay, even for two people at a time. That is, if the training doesn't kill you first."

"S-Sounds extreme," Videl spoke aloud, gulping down a lump as she tried to digest the information.

"Its a nightmare unless you're prepared for the training of a lifetime. Its truly not an experience I wish to repeat often," Piccolo spoke truthfully, turning his eyes to once again glare back at Dende, "but the fact of the matter that someone has been on the other side more than two days, two years within the chamber, means its quite possible that whoever's inside the chamber may already be dead from the effort!"

"I...I'm sorry...but...I couldn't just turn him away..." Dende said aloud apologetically, raising his staff defensively up towards Piccolo and the others, as tears began to well up in his eyes.

"Who was it then? Yamcha gotten cocky? Was it Tien? Krillin? Tell me, Dammit!" Piccolo snarled out, just about ready to slap the young Namekian across the face.

However, a distinct chime hit, sounding from within the Lookout that rang within the air.

"Butter and toast!" Popo cried out from within the kitchen, his voice echoing from within the hallowed structure, only lingering long enough to inform those outside something important, "also, the Chamber's timer has just went off."

"Great! Now we'll see who we need to resurrect this time around," Piccolo spoke with a growl, walking swiftly towards the Lookout's main structure, while Gohan and the others rushed to the doorway with great haste.

It didn't take long to reach the red colored door, within but a few seconds. Piccolo and the others stood before it, waiting to see if anything would happen. A lingering hope remained that whomever used the chamber didn't perish, and somehow against all the odds, managed to survive it. However, as the minutes lingered onwards, Piccolo hissed with annoyance and the others sighed with reluctant admission.

"Let's get the unlucky bastard off the floor before he begins to rot anymore than he has-" Piccolo began to say, until a defining creak of the door being opened from behind was heard.

All present gasped, as the door slowly opened and a white line shined past a shadow enraptured being. Large in mass, the being stood an even six and a half feet, taking one bare foot forward to step on the cool tile flooring of the semi-interior of the Lookout's structure. As the shadows left the entity, it was staggeringly apparent but almost unbelievable whom exited the chamber.

A bald headed man, with a long white beard that past between two pairs of substantially developed pectoral muscles, all the way to the top of a six pack of a vastly defined abdomen. A pair of unmistakable, if not worn-out sunglasses sat upon the bridge of an impressive nose, as a familiar white grin spread forth before those who saw him. With rippling muscles across the shirtless man, with little but torn slacks from the gi worn out after ages of use, the formerly decrepit man now looked as fit as a man in his prime.

"Hell everybody. It feels like its been quite a long time since I've been on the outside," He spoke in greeting, gazing across the darkly shrouded sky just beyond the sunroofs of the Lookout, "and much longer since I've seen darkness outside my shades...hmmmm. Can't believe I've actually grown a longing for night time."

"M-M-Master Roshi!" Gohan uttered aloud in total shock, blown away by what he saw.

"Oh, hey there young'n," Roshi spoke with a smile of recognition, waving at him as he bent down towards the now significantly shorter young man, "my, you haven't changed a bit."

"Hold on! THIS was the pervert who was trying to sneak peaks under skirts during Goten's birth, wasn't it?!" Videl spoke aghast, pointing with an accusatory manner, while trying to find recognition and similarity between the decrepit old man, and the incredibly fit middle aged fighter standing before her.

"Hmmm?" Roshi blinked a few times behind his shades, looking over at the girl who pointed at him, before fist-palming with recognition, "oh! You're the dashing little lady who's been training under that boy from the future and Gohan here."

"Her name is Videl," Gohan spoke sternly, putting himself between him and the older man as he stared back at him, "I don't care how strong you've become. I won't let you do ungentlemanly things to her, not on my watch!"

"HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" Roshi laughed humorously, holding his developed midriff with his left hand as he chuckled aloud, to the point where he had to wipe away tears forming underneath his eyes, "I gave up that part of me before I entered the chamber, Gohan. I'm a changed man! This is the new Master Roshi, one of the strongest men alive once again!"

"About that," Piccolo interjected, as the two young adults processed what Roshi just meant, he gained the black-shade lensed eyes of Roshi to his own onyx ones, "I know you're strong, but exactly how the Hell did you survive on two years of rations over the past three months that have passed out here. If I understand correctly, that means, even if you rationed it smartly, you couldn't have lived off the rations for more than an extra year, if even that!"

"Hmmm, how best to explain," Master Roshi, cupped his chin, stroking his beard as he thought. After but a few seconds, he smiled, as he pointed towards his heart as he demonstrated, "you see, my Immortality never vanished, even after I died by the sacrifice I made through using the Evil Containment Wave. So after I started to run out of food, I began to concentrate, delve deep into my being and pull up the vast amounts of Life Energy dwelling within my spirit. After I've nearly reached my limits, I've succeeded into assimilating it as my nutrition and also, the source of my power. After that, the training became so much easier, and I had plenty of time to think of quite a few new techniques, stances, and even different methods of fighting. Pardon the pun, but I'm DYING to try it out and soon!"

"W-Which makes you how old, now?" Dende asked incredulously, not aware just how long the aged martial artist was until now.

"Oh...somewhere in the ballpark of...40,000 years, give or take a few decades," Master Roshi spoke with a sheepish chuckle, scratching his chin as he spoke to the four honestly.

Piccolo, Dende, Videl, and even Gohan all widened their eyes to humorous sizes and sweatdropped. The idea that Master Roshi survived on nothing but his indefinitely prolonged life force was maddening, near inconceivable. After the realization that he died using a magical technique, they all thought it was just a hoax that he was claiming to be Immortal. And yet, he stood before them, healthier and more fit than he's ever been. Perhaps there has been truth in his words of what he told them all, that he truly had done the impossible.

Then, a crazy idea popped into Gohan's head. He had come with the notion of possibly getting Piccolo to train Videl, but he knew his methods were a bit more extreme than Trunks and his own style of teaching. But with Master Roshi the way he is now, and also being a human himself, whom better to start training Videl in more advanced arts of combat and energy control than the man who started his own father's neverending cycle of martial arts training!

"Master Roshi!" Gohan asked him suddenly, bowing his head appropriately and humbly before him, as he asked with determination, "please take Videl as your disciple, so she may better herself, and learn more advanced martial arts and methods of controlling her energy!"

"No need to be that formal, kiddo!" Roshi shook his hand at Gohan insistently, chuckling warmly as he faced Videl with a kind smile, "so, you're the only one who's yet to be on par with these rising stars, former pupils of mine, is that right?"

"I guess you could say that," Videl spoke with a frown, not sure exactly what he was implying to her, but decided to shrug and go along with it.

"Let me place my hand-"

"WHAT?!" Videl asked with a comical shriek.

"-on your head, Videl," Roshi finished, placing his right hand ontop of her raven, pig-tailed head, causing her only to wince slightly before dumbly realizing what he meant.

Videl felt her whole body tingle, and her head spin slightly, as Roshi began to feel out her energy and determine her potential. After what seemed like hours, turned long silent minutes with nearly everyone holding their breath, Roshi finally ruffled her hair and retracted his hand with an enthusiastic smile on his aged, yet very much more youthful face.

"You have spirit, girl, and much more potential than I think you'd ever believe," Roshi spoke with a grin, nodding his head towards the girl's amazed filled eyes, as she stared up at the substantially larger and older martial artist. With an upraised fist, he clasped it within an open palm with a decisive maneuver, "right! Starting tomorrow you train with me!"

"R-Really?!" Videl spoke with a gasp, looking towards Gohan for affirmation whom smiled back approvingly, causing her to squeal with excitement, "sounds great!"

"Just to be clear, you're not the only one who's going to give you teachings," Piccolo spoke firmly, swinging his hand around in declaration, casting an intimidating stare down at Videl, "I'll also be teaching you. Even if the old man has grown a backbone in the thousands of years he's now lived, I doubt he has the raw grit to do what needs to be done. Starting tomorrow, you'll also start training with me! That is, if you have the guts to follow through?"

"I-I'll try my best," Videl bowed humbly to him, laughing hesitantly as she nervously looked at both intimidating men. One whom she knew as a pervert and now was an ancient warrior with unknown amount of power, as well as one of the truly strongest human martial artists. The other being a tall, turban-toting green skinned man that looked almost like a cross between an alien and a demon.

One thing was for certain. In the coming days, she'll have to bring all of her nerve, tenacity, and strength to the table if she wanted to last even one day, let alone a month with these respected fighters. After all, with the enemies that Gohan and the others have just made, she knew she'd have to bring her own strength to bear if she wanted to make a difference in the future!

* * *

**A/N:** _And done! Finally got back on track to the days I want to update on. Feels good to do that :) _

_Anyways, there you have it, another Chapter under wraps for the Vegeta Chronicles and an exciting series of upcoming conflicts and changes that are just waiting to be exploited around the corner. We're in for an exciting ride, ladies and gents, and I hope you can hold on tight, cause its going to be as wild as sitting bareback on Shenron. _

_In regards to Master Roshi and the HTC, I'm pretty sure its going to be the center of debate, despite it being the last part of the Chapter. So, to clarify, I've done a fair amount of my homework on the HTC and its uses both in the Manga and the Anime. From what I can tell, there really is no limitation to how long you can stay within the Time Chamber, despite its supposition early on within its existence, or the number of people. It was more just a cautionary idea, if you devour all of the expired rations before it was time to get out, you'd probably starve to death. _

_Also, I want to give Master Roshi a much more defining and important role in the following chapters. Seeing as it took awhile for most of the Human Z Warriors to reach the levels they are now, even with the significant teachings they got from King Kai whom is supposedly one of the greatest martial artist "teachers" around, Roshi was at one point a force to be reckoned with. _

_Because it was never really experimented or delved upon within the series just the extent of Master Roshi's Immortality, bar the magical oriented deaths via Evil Containment Wave use and being turned into candy by Super Buu, we never really got to see Roshi die by any other means, let alone brutally beaten to a pulp. So by means of Immortality, Roshi is probably going to have a near limitless amount of Life Energy stored within his being, thus it made sense to me that if he could find a way to tap into it, he'd have a near unquantifiably high amount of energy to sustain himself for as long as he was in the HTC._

_How much power does that give him in terms of actual firepower? Well, that's remaining to be seen in the coming chapters he'll participate in ;) _

_If you have anymore questions, PLEASE relay them through PM's, as if you are an Anonymous Reviewer, there's a good chance I can divulge sensitive information within the_ Author Notes _of a Chapter Update_ (I'm talking to you, Coldblue XD) _So please send me a PM, rather than issue questions within your Review. It'll make it much easier to answer questions as vaguely and as best as I can without spoiling things for the other viewers._

_With that said, please review and comment of what you liked about the Chapter, what you're anticipating, and what you think I should perhaps do in future chapters involving the overall plot. Let me know and I'll try and see what I can do to make it happen ;) _

_Until then, I'll see you guys on the next,_ the Vegeta Chronicles _chapter! _


	15. A Woman's Scorn

**THE VEGETA CHRONICLES**

* * *

**Chapter 15 - A Woman's Scorn**

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**NOTE: This is a long, PLANET BUSTING ****Chapter. It would be wise for you casual readers to pace yourself as you go. Just wanted to give you a head's up, so that you wouldn't be frustrated by its length. **

**Hope you enjoy the Chapter!~**

* * *

_When Videl became the student of the intimidating Namekian Piccolo and the now rejuvenated Immortal Master Roshi, she had no idea the intensity of her training would increase to heights she couldn't have imagined. _

_Every time spent with Piccolo was like a day of life and death, a struggle to absorb every aspect of survival, fighting spirit, and brutal hard martial arts. She took full advantage of the bountiful energy she had multiplied over the short period of time she had in her training with Trunks and Gohan to its maximum. Every move was careful and precise, never wasted, as being exhausted in front of an Ascended Namekian warrior was the last thing she wished upon herself. She learned that lesson one too many times. _

_However, every day spent training with Master Roshi was about as different and unpredictable as Piccolo's training was dangerous. Some days she'd be on her guard, hoping not to get pummeled by the forefinger of his right hand, and hope she could evade him long enough for satisfaction. Other days she would spend each day running laps across the planet until she couldn't fly any longer. She adopted the movements and styles of the old Turtle Hermit School, but also gained the benefit of Roshi's own lengthy training spent within the chamber, learning to harness energy from multiple sources to increase the rate of her quickly excelling strength. Doing so felt treacherous and difficult, however, as each test felt like a new term for "insane" or "ridiculous". _

_But after a good period of time has passed, Videl slowly got the hang of both teaching methods. Combining the harshness of Piccolo's training with the unpredictable methods of Roshi's training helped her to be more resourceful and fluent with her gestures. Every tactic, every plan to tackle the situation was adapted properly to overcome her limitations and find her own way past the obstacles many have been forestalled due to weakness or lack of skill. _

_It wasn't long...until a year had passed, and an entirely new set obstacles would be placed not in front of just Videl, but all the Z Warriors!_

* * *

**1 Year Later...**

"Concentrate, Videl," Master Roshi spoke softly towards his student.

"Easier said than done, grandpa pervert," Videl muttered.

"What was that, young lady?" Roshi asked in an irritated tone.

"Nothing," Videl spoke firmly, desperately trying to keep her balance. She sat in a meditative posture, with her eyes closed and hands upraised, squatting on top of a solid oak board delicately placed on top of a mountain peak. She tried not to think of the cold wind rushing by her orange and blue gi, outfitted with the crest with the Turtle Hermit School, that only covered her upper arms and the rest of her body. All she had to do was concentrate on harnessing the energy in herself while keeping perfect balance.

Unbeknownst to her, she had a blue light emanating from her skin, ruffling her clothes and ponytail done hair. Her two framing bangs framing her face flourished around her face, as her eyes squinted with thorough concentration. The board she sat upon rattled ever so slightly, but not enough to shake it off its delicate perch. After so many failed attempts for this repeated exercise, it appeared as if she was now finding a perfect center of balance. Not only within herself, but he whole being.

_"I want you to know something before we begin training. This is crucial to understand if you are to master perfect Ki control," Master Roshi spoke, nearly an entire year ago to this day Videl found herself training on, "it isn't the volume of energy within a person that makes them a formidable warrior, nor is it the physiological size that gives them an advantage. The quality and the harnessment of the energy is what matters. _

_For example, if you see Gohan throw a punch, are you worried that he'll rip apart the planet? Are you sure he has the control to keep it from shattering under the weight of so much energy thrown forth? Of course not, because you've seen firsthand the quality of control he possesses over his incredible energy. Its what makes using such a bountiful well of energy as a Super Saiyan so easy for him. Any other time, if he loses control he'd risk releasing enough pressure to split the planet in two. But even in his most emotional outbursts, you've seen the caution and care he's made subconsciously in keeping his emotions only partially connected to his well of energy. _

_But it works for people with less energy or strength than those intergalactic titans. I've discovered a method, a technique that someone of your prodigious talents could use to your advantage, should you face a foe much stronger than yourself. It will empower your being, strengthen it, and forgo the need to overpower your enemies by utilizing higher power levels, if you will. It employs the energy of your mind's control, your passionate heart, and your unwavering soul into power the likes of which no enemy will imagine!" _

Videl, at that period of time couldn't fathom what was so different about the method of control that'd give her so much strength. She felt, despite how fast her progression was, it'd be another decade before she'd reach a level where she could actually compete with Gohan and the enemies he faces. Even though she had encouragement in some vague degree by her scary Namekian teacher, or the formerly perverted old man, now precariously balanced apart from her.

From the times she fell or wobbled beforehand, she saw a man with complete ease and state of mind. The wind didn't cause him to shiver across his bare torso, fluttering across black gi slacks with orange stripes on each side. A single big toe on his right foot held him up upon the sharp mountain peak, leaving the other to pull up and arch up towards his chest.

If she could gain the state of mind he did, perhaps then she'd feel more impressed with her rate of progress.

"Keep it up, Videl, you're getting the hang of it," Master Roshi encouraged his young disciple, smiling sincerely at the calm exuding from Videl's being, "soon you'll be able to master your energy to use _that_ technique I've taught you."

"It feels like its going to take eternity before I get as balanced as you," Videl pouted her lips, as her eyes peeked out to see the old master still balancing on a single toe, "your energy control is amazing. I don't think I could ever be that serene and idle for so long."

"It takes years and years of practice," Master Roshi began, adding with a sheepish grin as he stroked his beard in thought, "a few too many years for someone like you to learn out the hard way on your own, hehe!"

"Then make ME Immortal so it won't be an issue," Videl stuck a tongue out at her human sensei.

"That'd be handy, wouldn't it? However, the only thing that could make you immortal besides the Dragon Balls is the Immortal Phoenix. And its dead," Master Roshi spoke plainly.

"Wait, I thought things that were titled immortal are incapable of being killed," Videl queried.

"I thought so too. But it turns out that the Achilles Heel to the Phoenix was a weak digestive system. Bad bird seed done her in," Master Roshi sighed, sheepishly chuckling as he scratched the back of his head, "my bad..."

"Boy, I'd feel sorry for a goldfish who managed to work its way into your care," Videl quipped with a dry tone of unamusement.

"Point being, you can't rely on shortcuts of power, like that Kaio-whatever, and you're not a Saiyan, so you can't gain strength nearly as ridiculously possible. Trust me, once you use your technique out in the open with the control you have, all that training you got from Piccolo will be put to better use. Trust me," Roshi insisted with a grin.

"You're about as trustworthy as a lecherous hobo," Videl furrowed her brows at him, earning a sheepish chuckle, before sighing with resignation, "but when it comes to martial arts, I trust you completely. I'd never come this far without your help to balance out the brutality that Piccolo has dished out every other day during the weeks of this year."

"My, time sure does fly," Roshi sighs with nostalgia. He remembered it was only but a few centuries ago when he was a student under Muten, being trained to be one of the strongest fighters on Earth. Then he retained that prestigious title for so long, only to find out he was really weak and insignificant in comparison to many of his progressing students and the enemies they faced. Even though three months passed on the outside, it felt like an eternity within the Chamber, and now he felt like a completely changed person...more or less.

His reminiscing was broken, when the sound of a streaking power surge closed in on them. Recognizing the signature before he turned his head, Roshi waved over at the source as he spoke aloud, "Speaking of things that fly...hey, Gohan!"

"MY PRINCE!" Videl initially shouted with joy, her concentration broken only slightly, as her board cracked but didn't lose her balance. A far better improvement over the last time Gohan interrupted her train of thought. Though her chosen words were swiftly causing her to stutter and blush in front of the old man posing not too far from her, "I...uh...I mean...hi, Gohan!"

Gohan stopped a good few meters away from Videl, smiling bashfully in return. Despite it being nearly a whole year they started dating, he still fell captive under that voice and smile she had. After shaking himself free of the daze he was placed in, he scratched the back of his head and spoke back to Videl, "Hey, Videl. I see your training is going well..."

"Yeah, I think I'm starting to get the hang of it," Videl beamed at Gohan, despite the precarious cracking noises of the board underneath her.

"Beats being beaten up by Piccolo, huh?" Gohan joked with a sheepish chuckle.

Videl's eyes widened with distinct, nostalgic horror, "I can't believe you trained with that monster! I can barely land a decent hit on him, and he keeps telling me to dodge! How can I dodge something that's nearly twice as big and even faster than I am?! Its madness!"

"Nah, its just Piccolo's way of heightening your senses," Gohan shrugged it off, chuckling in remembrance of his own training, "he wouldn't do anything to actually hurt you. He just wants you to be prepared for when you face stronger enemies, that your body will be able to react to their movements and attacks, even if you're not at their level."

"Which is perfect for the training I'm giving her," Roshi complimented with a nod of his head, "she's come very far, and with the technique she's perfecting, soon she'll be an invaluable asset to the team. Even if she'll never reach your level, you can trust she'll have your back. Not that I have to tell you that twice, eh, Gohan?"

"Uh...yeah, sure," Gohan blushed in embarrassment, remembering the time nearly a year ago when he was at the mercy of Tao. If it hadn't been for her, not only would he have probably made a huge mistake, he could've died that day.

Clearing her throat, Videl lifted herself off the board, letting it splinter into dozens of pieces as she hovered in the air over to Gohan's reach, "Well, I'm about done with training for today. Did you come here to pick me up, or was it just to say hi, handsome?"

"Oh! Uh, I guess I wanted to say hi and...well...there's a new arcade that opened up in West City Mall, and...I was wondering if you wanted to come with me, just the two of us," Gohan awkwardly invited, crossing his ankles and rubbing them in the middle of the air as he scratched his head.

"Honestly, Gohan," Videl giggled, her body brushing against his as her right arm looped around his left, her eyes meeting his, "just say you want to have our monthly date, and ask if today's a good day."

"Sorry, haha! I guess even after a year its still hard for me to act so casual about...us...I guess," Gohan smiled happily back at Videl.

"Well, let me help lower your guard, then," Videl spoke back softly, as she pulled on collar as she leaned in to press her lips against his.

Unfortunately, a audible cough brought them back to the reality they had an audience.

"Don't mind me, young'ns!" Roshi chuckled as he smiled toothily, waving his hand towards them while still remaining balanced, "just do what you were doing and don't hold back, haha!"

"No thanks, Master Roshi," Gohan growled lowly with annoyance, rolling his eyes at the old man's sense of humor.

"Well, if that wasn't a sign to get moving, I don't know what is," Videl chirped, tugging on his arm as she flew in the opposite directly of the mountain peaks, "c'mon, Gohan! I'll race you back to West City!"

Gohan just sighed, allowing a smile to cross his face as he followed Videl's lead, "Don't know if you can beat me in a race just yet, Videl!"

"You're going to be up for a rude awakening then!" Videl shouted back confidently, as her body jettisoned into the horizon, with Gohan following in hot pursuit.

Master Roshi could only sigh as he saw the two juvenile lovers flew off, leaving him behind to do his own training in solitude. Though he did ponder about something for himself, "_When am I going to get a lady of my own?!_"

* * *

As they soared casually through the air, Gohan couldn't help but laugh with Videl. The two throughout the year had been finding new ways to fly in acrobatic and dexterous movements. To the below observer, they would appear like tiny dancers, flowing through the sky with jetstreams of pressurized wind flowing behind their speeding bodies.

Blissfully ignorant croppings of farms and suburbs passed underneath their gaze, as they settled into a much calmer and straight formation towards West City. They felt as if they were on top of the world, with nothing to hold them back or keep them pinned to the earth.

In a way it was true.

Videl felt more liberated and free up in the air, flying with Gohan, than she had in her entire life. Training with Piccolo had given a sense of exhilaration and grasp over her own strength, as well as combating someone who far excelled beyond her own prowess. Her time with Roshi had taught her control, balance, and peace of mind. Had she remained in the dark with the rest of the world, she would've seen Gohan and the others as nothing more than frauds and monsters.

For Gohan, he had never felt more alive. While training with Vegeta awakened his Will to fight and the determination to not hold back, he had begun to see a path of his own begin to emerge. Breaking away from Vegeta's training regiment, he had signed up for a combination of homeschooling and Online lectures with Videl to catch up on studies and increase his academia. Doing this, he set a rhythm in where he'd schedule time to train, help his mother raise his baby sister, and keep up with studies.

Its truly the first time he felt like he was living a normal life. And he was doing it with the girl who captured his heart.

"Alright, I think we can slow down a bit," Videl spoke aloud, righting herself within the air a mere meter away from Gohan, breaking his reverie as her eyes met his, "I just wanted to ask how the rest of your friends are doing?"

"Friends?" Gohan queried, for a moment not understanding what Videl meant.

Rolling her eyes, Videl nudged his extended arm with her left elbow, smiling exasperatedly, "You know who I'm talking about! The Z Warriors, of course."

"Oh, you mean them? Sorry, I was just reflecting was all," Gohan laughed sheepishly, a bead of sweat comically sliding off his scalp in emphasis.

"You're such an airhead sometimes. I forget that you're a genius behind that thick skull of yours," Videl pouted her lips, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Sorry! Its just a lot's happened within a single year," Gohan apologized, looking back towards the blue horizon, bathed in clouds and enamored with rolling green hills covered by suburban and rustic housing, "I stopped training with Vegeta almost altogether by the time you accepted training with Master Roshi and Piccolo. I think Trunks' departure took a toll on him more than he'll admit. While I'm staying at the Briefs to study with you, and train when Vegeta's not using the Gravity Chamber, I'm usually at my house helping mom out with chores and helping out with Goten. I can see the weariness Bulma is going through though..."

"Is she going to be alright? I mean...they seemed happy enough, as weird a couple as they were when I met them," Videl asked with a worried tone.

Gohan shook his head with uncertainty, "I'm not sure. From the way I've seen it, they've slowly and surely been minimizing their conversations with each other. Vegeta's starting to fall asleep more often in the Gravity Chamber than he is in bed with Bulma. I think Bulma's increased her use of tobacco and alcohol intake since the lack of conversations, let alone arguments. I think they're both trying to cope with the loss of Trunks, and they aren't handling it together like they should."

"I'm sure they'll come around, Gohan," Videl spoke in an encouraging tone, gaining his attention with a bright smile, "Bulma's one of the toughest, stubborn women I've ever met, and she seems to be truly in love with Vegeta. Vegeta may be a glorified jackass and an arrogant jerk, but he's got a soft spot for his family too. I'm positive the two of them will work around this in time."

The words of positive reinforcement allowed the young Saiyan's tension to leave with a exhale of relief. He couldn't even begin to thank Videl for how much support she's leant him during these times of great change and conflict. Though, he could only wonder how she was doing, with the state her dad could've been in for the past year and a half...

Shaking his head to forget that line of thought, Gohan began shifting the subject away from their lives and onto others, "A few months ago, I heard Yamcha got roped into joining Launch's maniacal crime sprees, all because his new girlfriend is her sidekick. But he demonstrated to have a much higher control over his skills and gathering energy, making him a lot stronger than both Krillin and Tien combined. This led to the two of them splitting up to find their own motivations for getting stronger, just like how Yamcha did."

"So where did the two bald guys go?" Videl asked curiously.

Smirking at the blunt nickname for the two fighters, Gohan continued as his eyes drifted upwards towards the clouds hanging just above them as they continued to soar through the air, "Tien said he was going to do some special training alone. I think he said that isolated meditation was needed to breach the barrier his limitations has created for him with Kaio-ken. I think Krillin decided to do that with 18 and 17, though I'm not sure what he has in mind."

"Yeah, I haven't really seen those two much, but from the way you described them, they sound like their insides is all made up of machine parts," Videl probed curiously, realizing she never officially been introduced to the infamous twin Androids.

Gohan chuckled with amusement, as he looked over at Videl, "They're actually a lot more human than what we expected them to be. Back awhile ago, we assumed them to be heartless monsters, just like what their creator and a pale servant of his were. But it turned out that they were much more than that. Their bodies have been interwoven to the highest level of synthetic organic alloy, while still retaining their human organs and minds, but with much higher threshold of pain, resistance to damage, and a higher healing rate than most humans. They also don't need to eat or drink as much as people, but they still have the capacity to do so."

"Its still hard to wrap my mind around the fact that they were a part of Cell, let alone they were strong enough to stand up to you guys," Videl's mouth was agape as she spoke, looking down towards the rolling landscape far below them, "the world that you experience is nothing what I could have imagined, had my father not been exposed and the truth revealed to me."

Gohan gulped, as his thoughts turned to Videl's father. It had been a touchy subject, one of which no one wanted to bring up. He knew the state of her life changed dramatically due to not being the daughter of a supposed hero or a celebrity. Now she was the daughter of a hoax and a phony, one of which continued to be the unspoken conversations.

But Videl looked happy, despite all of this. Gohan could only surmise that she was truly having a bonding moment, and had nothing but honesty coming from Hercule, instead of cleverly woven lies. Well, he wouldn't want to bring up the painful times in her life, and allow her to share it with him in her own time. Unlike his father, he knew when to apply tact and be patient about such delicate things.

"Hey, Videl," Gohan suddenly spoke in an anticipating tone, earning a look of bewilderment, as his eyes glimmered with excitement, "let's see if you can catch up to me this time in a race against my Super Saiyan form!"

Videl couldn't help but narrow her eyes and smile confidently, retracting her arms to her side in preparation, as a transparent aura of shimmering blue Ki came over her person with readiness, "I'm not sure you should be so confident. The things I've learned this past year will make your little light show so mundane in comparison!"

With that said, Gohan's body quickly became enraptured in an aura of golden light, causing his hair to stand upright into yellow locks, and his eyes to shift into blue irises as bright as the morning sky. His voice came out assured and cocky as his body brought forth the full power of his Super Saiyan reserves, "Then show me what you got!"

**KRAK-BOOM-BOOM!** Without a word spoken, the two teenaged martial artists split the sound barrier as the flew forth, aiming to the first to reach West City.

Gohan had an immediate head start, distancing himself from Videl a good ten-fifteen meters. His aura looked like a golden ball of fire, leaving a trail of crackling energy in his wake as his arms carved a path through the sky before his eyes. The sound emanating from him was a blend of a jet and a rocket, sending deafening pulses of sound waves across the landscape far below that he whizzed past.

However, it didn't take more than a few seconds for Videl to catch up to him, much to the golden maned boy's surprise. He almost didn't even hear or sense her coming, as the only sound of her approach sounded like a low musical hum. In fact, the glow of her aura was almost skin deep and kept to a minimum, in comparison to the enormous power pouring from Gohan's pores.

Smiling cheekily, Videl chirped at him confidently, "Ready to give up yet?"

Shaking his head out of the awe he had for Videl's quick catch-up time, Gohan decided to kick it up to the last notch. As he smiled, a bright flash flowed from his tame golden aura and transformed into a maelstrom. As Videl would wince at the terrific discharge of excess Ki from his body, blue tendrils snaked out of his skin and danced around his hair and clothes, fully embraced within the power of the secondary Super Saiyan form.

"Remember you asked for it, Videl!" Gohan shouted with glee, as his body burst within a brilliant flash of light, now taking upon the guise of a golden meteorite. Within an instant, Gohan's body shimmered into the horizon.

With a calm exhale, Videl's eyes closed, the glow slowly dissipating completely from her body. The speed she had almost come to a complete stop, her body righting up to hover limply. Tension seemed to leave her being, and tranquility lapsed within her mind and soul. Her hair flourished within a subtle excess of unknown energy simmering within the confines of her human shell.

Then, her eyes opened, revealing a shimmering blue glow...

* * *

Gohan's speed always felt exhilarating to himself, while donned within the form of Super Saiyan 2. He felt like he had tapped into an ocean of strength he never felt like before, while feeling as light as a feather. He had often seen what kind of power Vegeta pushed forth, in all its focused intensity, making it into a very lethal weapon. But for Gohan, it felt as if it was a shield of the utmost transparent sensation. Never holding him back and always being there so he could smash it into his obstacles, while dancing around them till their senses became dizzied.

Smiling to himself, he felt bad that he exerted all of his power output into speed. He practically didn't feel anything giving off of Videl, making him realize that she had tired down. He could already see the city within the distance, and the chosen destination of West City Mall, taking up a good section of the inner area of the metropolitan landscape.

But as he approached the horizon, within a single instant, he saw Videl. The sudden sight of her being within within a dozen meters away from him, materializing out of thin air to his eyes, caused him to defuse his aura within an instant and stop himself dead in his tracks.

"W-What?!" Gohan's jaw felt slack as his eyes comically bulged out, seeing Videl hovering before him.

"Ta-daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Videl twirled in the air, giggling with triumph, as she finished her spin with a extended hand making the sign for victory, "what did you think of that, Gohan?"

"H-How did you o-outrun me?! I didn't even feel your energy at all!" Gohan spoke with incredulous disbelief.

Clucking her tongue, Videl wagged her extended left hand's forefinger in a mock chiding tone, "Ah-Ah-Ah, that's a secret. I'll only tell you, it has nothing to do with me being stronger than you."

"No fair!" Gohan comically crossed his arms over his chest, pouting his lips, "I didn't even feel you come past me you were so fast, and I won't even know how you did it."

"Well, the reason you didn't feel it, was probably due to me going the opposite direction as you," Videl spoke with a proud, factual tone, spinning her finger around in emphasis as she smiled wryly, "I circled the Earth to come right in front of you. It was a gamble, but I guess I really am faster than your Super Saiyan speed at its best after all, huh?!"

Gohan could feel his head drop, as he chuckled sheepishly in defeat, "Serves me right for going in guns blazing. I just absolutely humiliated myself in one fell swoop, haha!"

Floating across the shortened gap between them, Videl placed both hands on his head, giving him a soft kiss to his scalp, "Don't worry, tough guy. You're still my knight in shining armor, and no fancy techniques I get will change that."

Her whisper combined with the soft peck to his head caused Gohan's ears to immediately redden along with his cheeks, causing him to smile bashfully, "Th-Thanks, Videl..."

Backing away, Videl returned the smile, as she took a hold of his right hand with her left, "C'mon! Since I'm on a roll today, I want to beat you in some video games too at the Arcade!"

Gohan didn't argue against that incentive. As the two lowered themselves down from the sky, they made sure to land within the back, and walk their way around to the main entrance, so they wouldn't gain too much attention. Despite being dressed in martial art attire of the same style, they knew people of all varieties came in dressed in much more outlandish costumes, especially to the arcade.

They wouldn't stick out that much, right?

* * *

**Three Hours Later...**

"...can't believe you won all those video games!" Videl spoke incredulously, holding a half-smile as they exited the Mall's main entrance, "here I thought you did nothing but do your homework, read books, and train when you're not busy with family!"

"Uh, beginner's luck?" Gohan asked rhetorically with a sheepish grin, scratching the back of his head as he looked at her disbelieving stare.

"You beat me at Step-by-Step V without even batting an eye at the screen," Videl grumbled at Gohan.

"Martial Arts has a dance-like rhythm when training. It was an easy game," Gohan spoke honestly.

Flailing her arms comically, Videl shouted with exasperation, "Mansion of the Dead III! Band Duelists! Even my favorite game, Wrath Blaze 3, you beat me with the weakest character against every high-tier character available!"

"Didn't you just say that its not all about power, but in the skill of who plays better?" Gohan asked with a wry grin.

"Shut up, Power Player!" Videl pursed her lips together into a pouted expression, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked in the opposite direction, "your excuses have no affect on me!"

"I guess its the advanced hand to eye coordination," Gohan spoke with an intuitive shrug, speaking as more fact than bragging. Though a hint of a smile was seen developing across his face, he quickly suppressed it at the sight of Videl's irritated glare, "hey, blame Piccolo, not me! All that training I did with him when I was young must've ingrained me faster reflexes inherently when it comes to those flash games."

With that in mind, Videl let out a sigh and rolled her eyes, finally submitting herself to smile back at Gohan with knowing, "Good point. You've been spared from my cold shoulder for the moment, Son Gohan."

"I'm trembling in my boots," Gohan muttered with a chuckle.

Despite her inability to win any duel or multi-player games with him she had a blast watching Gohan excel at so many foreign challenges and obstacles that each game withheld. It felt invigorating and held a sense of true freedom. Here, in public, no one seemed to care who Gohan and Videl were, and were wrapped up too much in their own little world to mind them-

"HEY, YOU!"

"_Spoke too soon,_" Videl thought, as her eyes rolled around exasperatedly, as she turned around with Gohan to address who called them out.

Immediately cringing with disdain, Videl spotted a blonde-highlighted girl who had a skirt that was barely covering her upper thighs, with a nigh transparent frilly short-sleeved shirt. Flanked next to the girl was the equivalent of a man-slave, in the form of a high school jock age of sixteen, but could've been confused for a man of 21 with his body disposition. More importantly, a group of four variously dressed thug-ish looking high school students of the male gender, stood behind the jock and wore similar uniform jackets to their friend.

And all of them happened to be sporting signature "Orange Star High" emblems on their jackets, indicating their point of origin.

"Can we help you?" Gohan asked with a diplomatic tone, trying to keep civil and avoid a conflict. Especially near the entrance of the mall!

"You humiliated my girlfriend back at the arcade!" The lead jock pointed accusingly at Gohan, "she had a perfect winning streak at Step-by-Step V, and you made her look like an idiot!"

"I guess I'm not the only one you humiliated in gaming," Videl whispered with a wry grin, causing Gohan to sweat nervously.

Unfortunately, the words were not lost to the visible school concubine, as she flailed an angry fist at her, "What did you say?!"

"I'm remarking how my boyfriend seems to be better than everyone, including you, slut queen," Videl remarked, darkly smiling as she glared at her with satisfaction.

"You stay out of this, bitch!" The jock snarled at her with another overly dramatic point of his muscle-filled hand.

Placing a hand on Videl within a move of restraint, Gohan chuckled sheepishly as he spoke apologetically, "Look, I'm sorry that I caused you embarrassment. I was just playing for the first time and got lucky, really! If you want tips on how to polish your technique when you dance, maybe I can show you back in the arcade another time-"

"Tutor me? Look Karate Chan," the cheerleader-wannabe spoke with an upraised expression at Gohan, "I'm fairly certain that whatever you did was just a freak of nature. If you know what's good for you, stay out of my way, or my boyfriend and his friends are going to mess up that flashy outfit of yours."

His eyes blinked a few times with confusion. Gohan spoke aloud with a pointed look at each of the high school boys, "Wait, just the five of you?"

"Yeah! What about it?!" One of the back-up thugs snarled at him.

"That would be a huge disadvantage," Gohan began to speak.

The lead jock chuckled with twisted amusement, as he looked over at his friends, "You hear that? The guy's chicken to face us!"

As a hearty series of laughter broke out from them, Gohan still looked impassively at them as he finished, "You misunderstand. It'd be a huge disadvantage for all of you to fight me. I'd highly advise not trying it."

A couple of gasps were heard, with a thug moving backwards at hearing this, with the lead jock smiling as a bead of sweat crawled down his scalp, "You talk tough for a snot nosed punk, brat!"

"Its obvious you don't want to talk this through," Gohan spoke pointedly. Sighing, he turned himself and Videl around, dragging her away as he waved behind himself, "sorry for the inconvenience!"

At first, the jock squad was silent with disbelief. They threatened him and approached him in force, but he chose to leave calmly?

As they contemplated what action to take, Videl sideglanced at Gohan with a disapproving glare, speaking loud enough so the assembled could hear her, "Why didn't you fight them? They're punks and obviously stuck up, with a need to be knocked a few pegs down! Hell, even I could've taken them!"

"I'd rather not start a meaningless fight. Plus, attracting a crowd with the kind of media attention both our families have isn't something I want to increase. Losers or not, I'd rather not chance it," Gohan chided Videl with a cool tone.

It was this conversation that sparked the last straw of insults from the lead jock, "Hey, girlie! Nice wuss of a boyfriend you got there! Do they always homegrow 'em cowardly, or is it just him?!"

Within that instant, Videl stopped dead in her tracks, refusing to be bugged by Gohan's grasp. As Gohan turned to look at her, he felt himself recoil at the sheer terrifying expression of rage projecting from Videl's visage. That rage would be turned to gaze menacingly at the jock, as she walked slowly back towards the bully, not even registering the now fearful girlfriend of his cowering behind him.

"I think you're the stupidest of the bunch, considering how far away your friends and girlfriend are standing away from me," Videl spoke lowly, as she looked up at the vastly larger teenager, causing the boy to shiver with a mixture of rage and bewildered fear of the girl three years his junior, "do you have a death wish, or do you think fighting me is easy pickings for you?"

"Vi-Videl!" Gohan called out to her from afar, not daring moving too close for fear of triggering her rage further, "this isn't necessary! Let's just get out of here-"

"Apologize, and I'll let you keep your teeth, pretty boy," Videl spoke darkly as she smiled maliciously up at him, cracking her knuckles for emphasis of her seriousness.

This prompted the lead jock's veins to protrude visibly with overwhelming rage of his own. A thirteen year old girl was making him look like a fool in front of his buddies and his girlfriend. Not only that, but she's the girlfriend of the boy who humiliated his own girlfriend.

He threw out a fist towards her head, intending on clobbering her to the ground, as he brazenly shouted, "Shut the Hell up you-!"

Within the moment his fist was but a millimeter away from making contact, Videl seemed to disappear in front of his eyes, reappearing beside him. Grasping his jacket's sleeve with but three fingers, she pivoted her legs around in a perfect circle and hurtled the man over his head and sent tumbling into a series of trash bins near the Mall's entrance.

"J-Jake!" One of the thugs shouted out with surprise.

"Get that brat! GET HER!" The lead jock, now known as Jake, shouted out incredulously, despite the humiliating inverted position he lied within, as trash cans bent and conformed around his bulky body.

"Screw her!" One of the thugs spoke, as all four of them rushed at her blindly, using their size and numbers as their sole advantage to overtake the younger and smaller girl, "we're going to make you sorry you did that, bi-EEEEEEEEEEE!~"

Following the nutcracking kick, Videl fluidly grappled two of the incoming thugs sleeves, and twisted on the balls of her feet. This sent them spinning around in the air, striking the squealing and kneeling comrade of theirs, before both of them bodily slammed into the last one, crumpling into a pile before the Mall's entrance. All of this done within a few spare seconds.

Gohan couldn't believe how fluid and graceful Videl was in incapacitating all of them so effortlessly. And all without any use of energy. In fact, now that Gohan thought about it, Videl's energy had been abnormally suppressed since their race. Was she still passively exerting some unknown power, or was she relaxed more than he gave her credit for?

By this period of time, Videl began to turn away with a sigh, waving them off dismissively, "When you actually decide to put those muscles of yours to good use, I might actually put some effort into that."

"YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY THAT EASILY!" Jake shouted with uncontainable rage, as he pulled a knife out of his jacket, and rushed towards Videl with the clear intent to cause damage, if not kill her, "TAKE THIS!"

The knife didn't get very far.

Within a single twist of her hips, Videl turned around and swung the flat side of her right hand to connect with the side of the weapon. It passed clean through, causing the blade to clatter uselessly to the ground, and stop Jake clear in his tracks. Utter disbelief took hold of what just happened, ever being reinforced by what the extended palm did next.

A subtle pulse of Kiai was generated, flowing out like a football sized pocket of compressed air, striking the jock into the gut. As saliva flew out of his mouth, Jake's eyes bulged out with pain and utter disbelief, as his body pinwheeled off the ground and slammed into the wall with a breathtaking smash, indenting him firmly into place.

All the girlfriend of Jake could do was fall to her knees with disbelief, her eyes now wide with fear and her body trembling, caked with cold sweat, "W-What...just happened...? W-What the hell...are you...people?!"

"I guess you bit off more than you could chew, huh?" Videl asked with a dry chuckle, as she turned her back on the blubbering girl.

Gohan clucked his tongue in mock chide, as his grin betrayed his disapproving tone, "Ever heard the word restraint, Videl? I think you'll end up in a lot less meaningless conflicts if you just ignore the idiots who challenge you."

"If it was an insult to me, I'd ignore it. But if its an insult to you, I'll make them sorry," Videl spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, stopping just in front of Gohan as she crossed her arms, regarding him with an upraised brow as she smiled wryly, "tell me you wouldn't have done the same if they talked trash about me. Then I'll apologize."

With a sigh, Gohan raised his hands with surrender as he answered her honestly, "Point taken. But for now, let's skedaddle before we run into the Press or Mall Security."

"Good thinking," Videl spoke, almost intuitively as a number of people exited the mall's entrance to see the pile of crumpled bullies and the sobbing girl, "let's do that right now..."

"Hey, what happened here?!" A Mall security officer looked around, disbelievingly both at Gohan and Videl's direction, before strafing back to the unconscious high school students, as well as the inaudibly blubbering girl.

"I-Is that one of the Z Warriors?" One of the teenager onlookers, a brunette girl, squinted her eyes at Gohan whom was obviously recognizable, but Videl was less so, "Who's the girl with him?!"

"Hey, you!" One of the teenagers, having been watching from behind the doors, raised a phone to take a picture of the two of them, "hold a sec and let me make you famous!"

"I think not," Gohan spoke disdainfully, his eyes briefly flaring blue, as a transparent wave flowed from his irises and spread out to hit all of the adults and teenagers. Once it struck them, it would cause a static shock along their nerves, but more importantly, shut down all electronic devices on their persons.

"What the-?!" Videl began to utter, before she felt Gohan's arm wrap around her waist tightly. Within the blink of an eye, their forms dissipated within a blur of motion, leaving the disoriented crowd in their tracks.

* * *

It didn't take more than a single minute to leave the Mall far behind. Gohan finally stopped in front of one of the shopping areas within West City, beside a video store's windows. The news was playing on it, as a visual appeal for anyone to come in and buy their televisions, but loud enough to broadcast the newscast being displayed from its windows.

As Videl regained her composure, she looked over at Gohan with a mischievous grin, "So...I'm guessing you did something to their cameras to make them all flustered, eh?"

"Perceptive as always, Videl," Gohan lightly clucked his tongue, motioning to his eyes as he winked back at her, "I channeled a small amount of my brain's bio-electric energy into pulses through my ocular retinas, and discharged them in a widening manner. I call it a Localized Electromagnetic Pulse!"

Videl couldn't help but giggle, placing a hand over her mouth to contain her uncontrollable burst of laughter.

"Hey, what's so funny?" Gohan asked with a frown.

"Its just...just leave it to you to think of an intellectual way to explain what you just did, haha!" Videl explained, as she wiped away tears forming around her eyes, attempting to regain composure.

Turning his head to the side, Gohan took his arm away from Videl's side to cross both of them over his chest, pouting his lips, "You make it sound like I'm some sort of nerd or something..."

"I just find it adorable is all," Videl spoke with an honest smile, causing the boy to blush around the ears and cheek, "its not really a bad thing. I find your big brain as attractive as your big heart, Son Gohan!"

"Y-You mean that?" Gohan asked with a bashful smile, as he turned back towards Videl, locking his onyx eyes to her blue orbs.

"I wouldn't joke about something like that to the boy I've been dating for the past year, now would I?" Videl asked coyly, as she leaned slowly towards him, her hands gripping the front of his gi lightly.

"I guess not," Gohan murmured, his eyes starting to close as his face neared Videl's.

"_IN OTHER NEWS!-_"

"-the Hell?!" Videl shouted out with bewilderment, as the TV's from within began to move from idle music to a sudden newscast. But what came up caught her and Gohan's immediate attention, was the images of the three people on screen. This bout of media attention was being followed a young woman reading off the broadcast with barely contained enthusiasm.

"_Excuse me...sorry about that! As I was saying, the Alleged_ **Three Star Bandits** _have yet to be apprehended by the authorities. Nearly a year has passed since the series of random, sporadic heists has started. Through a series of painfully put together pieces of photographic and video evidence that wasn't destroyed, we can tell that one of the acclaimed Z Warriors, Yamcha, whom fought back in the Intergalactic Tournament and helped put down the alien menace that infiltrated Battle Island II. From what we can tell, he is accompanied by two females, one blonde and one blue haired, each of them skilled at disabling police and security forces they come into contact with..._"

"Tch, it was only a matter of time until they found out who he was," Gohan muttered with annoyance, glaring at the many TV screens glaringly show Yamcha's pictures from both the Tournament and him in the process of destroying surveillance equipment within various establishments, "but why have they not identified Launch and Maron? Are they not easily identified?"

"Why did the press come up with such a lame name for a criminal group like Three Star Bandits?" Videl's brow twitched as she asked incredulously.

"_The only recurring distinguishable trait is the capsule-used getaway vehicle. Its an open-top jeep, with three painted red stars with an orange background on either passenger door. Due to this feature being repeatedly seen by what surveillance equipment that isn't destroyed during these raids, local witnesses and the media officially named the group the Three Star Bandits,_" the woman emphasized with a twirl of her finger at various pictures of the trademark jeep they used repeatedly during their escape from the authorities and the crime scenes.

"Well, that answers _that_ question," Gohan chuckled, as Videl rolled her eyes at the revelation, "wonder why they haven't caught them?"

"_For those wondering why these criminals who've been doing blatant heists and behind-the-scenes burglary? Well, the short answer to those just viewing now is the fact that the majority of the funds acquired are usually from morally ambiguous businesses and establishments. Nearly 75% of their targets have been Casinos all over Ryuchi's populated city centers, with the rest ranging from Mafia influenced banks, smuggler dens, and even incoming black market ships that have eluded Ryuchi dock authorities for decades," with a cheeky expression, the newscast woman leans towards the camera while smiling wryly, "and what happens to the money, you may ask? From what we've been reported over the year, the more impoverished villages, orphanages, and many good natured charity drives throughout Ryuchi and even internationally! Whatever the case may be, I sure hope they continue being the Merry Band of Bandits that they continue to be!_"

"Well...might as well ask my fortune from the news," Videl spoke blandly, shrugging nonchalantly as the news finally deviated from topic onto more mundane matters.

"Glad to see Yamcha's leading Launch and Maron in the right direction," Gohan smiled with relief, sighing in emphasis, "he may be hot-headed and stubborn, but he's always had a heart as big as Krillin's. At least he's making the world a better place in his own way..."

"Yeah, that's fine and dandy," Videl spoke dismissively, pulling Gohan to face her again as she spoke lowly, "now shut up and kiss me already!"

No word of protest was made as Gohan and Videl's lips merged in front of the video store, embracing each other with sincere and pure love. Any thoughts of what Yamcha and his two female cohorts' activities were at the moment immediately escaped him as he embraced Videl and closed his eyes. He couldn't be anymore content than that moment he shared with Videl.

* * *

**50 Miles South of West City...**

Beyond the visual horizon of civilization liked an airfield. Based within a desert-based valley, a dirt road paved the way to a gravel semi-circle, making up the "parking zone" of this airfield. Far from being ordinary, the planes that came had falsified paperwork, along with the aircraft usually being painted matte black to mark them to be more obscure than the normal white transport and passenger vehicles.

Armored jeeps, and men in black suits with flak vests guarded the currently singular plane. Forklifts were swiftly carrying armored crates towards a "Toys" logo Semi-Truck, issued to be delivered to its assigned destination. The job was nearly complete, putting most of the guards at ease, as three quarters of the two dozen armed men began taking smoke breaks and were talking amongst themselves.

Two in particular watching the unloading one of the last crates onboard the plane, talked to each other behind red tinted anti-impact helmets.

The one on the right spoke up first, "So...why do you think we're here?"

"Come again?" The one on the left inquired back, "you mean why we're here metaphysically, or why we're here to guard a plane on a dirt airfield in the middle of nowhere?"

"Well, if you think about it, whatever's on that plane got to be worth a lot. I mean, they scraped the top layer of sand off this ditch of a valley to make a sorry excuse of an airfield, and give us armor-piercing rifles, and enough personnel to escort King Furry. It just seems to be a little excessive, if you ask me," the soldier on the right shrugged.

"I didn't ask, nor do I really care," the soldier on the left sighed, rolling his eyes, "I just want this to get over with so I can get back to a security detail that doesn't involve soaking up this heat."

"Just wanted to make conversation to keep myself from being bored," the soldier on the right groaned, kicking the dust underneath him, sending a rock rattling before him. However, the rock didn't stop rattling, and continued to rattle as the whole ground shook, "the hell?!"

It was at this point, three things became apparent. The first being the obvious sound of a rapidly approaching vehicle. The second was the fact that said vehicle seemed to be launching itself high into the air above the two prattling guards, and over the parked armored jeeps. Lastly, the music blaring from the radio was screaming out the lyrics from the song, "Highway to Hell," as it landed directly onto ground in front of the two said guards, and in the middle of the entire encampment.

The guard on the right suddenly caught sight of the orange and red logo on the doors of the jeep that landed in front of them. That, and the man draped in orange and emerald rustic attire, with a sword sheathed at his left hip and an unmistakable pair of scars on his handsome face.

"O-Oi! T-That's the Three Star Bandits!" The guard on the right shouted out incredulously, as he gripped his weapon and began taking aim.

"No shit, sherlock!" The guard on the left spoke as he aimed his own weapon at the three infamous raiders of illegal merchandise and cash, "raise your hands where I can see them, and no funny business!"

As the other guards began reaching for their weapons, Yamcha couldn't help but smile, "You actually think bullets are going to stop me? Please, if you watched anything about me and my two partners," he finished by swiftly unsheathing his blade, his body perspiring an eerily vibrant blue aura, "we're anything but funny people!"

"Actually, we kinda are a funny trio!" Maron piped up, as she lifted herself out of the jeep and landed right next to him, "we make lots of funny jokes, listen to funny music, argue funnily-"

"Not the point, Maron!" Launch shouted, as she pulled out two semi-automatic handguns out of her holsters and aimed them at either side, "just take them down, quick and clean as usual!"

"Whatever you say, boss," Yamcha rolled his eyes, as he made the first move.

By the time he was registered before the two monologuing guards, his blade had already passed through the heavy grade assault rifles, causing them to fall into tatters.

"T-This isn't my day, is it?!" The right guard spoke aloud in bemusing alarm.

The guard on the left just facepalms, dropping his weapon as he did so, "What gave you that idea, genius?!"

**WHAP-WHAP!** Yamcha twisted around the blade to be inverted to its cutting edge, bludgeoning the two guards at their necks, sending them to unconsciousness.

As the other guards opened fire, the two girls split up to take out each half of the remaining guards left.

Launch skipped and leaped side to side, unloading her rounds with expert precision and unrelenting barrages. It didn't take long before the thirteen fell to their knees in writhing agony, as they were subjugated to the non-lethal painful rubber bullets that impacted against their weak spots around their flak armor.

Maron's approach was far more dexterous. Acrobatically flipping, somersaulting, and side-stepping past all of the incoming bullet fire, she effortlessly approached the ten men who unloaded assault weapon fire. They could only shout with incredulous disbelief and fear, wondering what horrid fate awaited them by this deceivingly skilled woman.

"Patty-cake," **CRACK!** "Patty-cake," **WHAM!** "Baker's Man!" **CRACK-WHACK!** "Bake me a cake," **WHAM-WHAM!** "As fast as you can!" **CRAAAAAAAAAAAACK!**

Before any of the soldiers realized what was happening, they found Maron's hands clapping in a mesmerizing manner where they couldn't react accordingly. Each time she clapped, a fist or two would slam into the exposed joints of the armored guards, sending enough incapacitating force through the joints or nerve bundles she aimed for to drop them to the ground or throw them into pinwheeling crashes against their parked jeeps. The last of them were headbutted against each other, before flipped over to land on their backs, leaving them wheezing and coughing for air.

"Oh yeaaaaaaaaaah!~" Maron made a double 'V' sign, as she sashayed her hips around in a circle as she raised her face upwards dramatically as she shouted, "no one messes with the Patty Cake Champion!"

"Great job, Maron!" Yamcha spoke aloud with good cheer, having struck the guard managing the forklift on the back of the neck, causing him to slump in his seat unconsciously, "you and Launch did great as always!"

"We keep doing the majority of the work," Launch growled angrily as she holstered her guns, and strut over to the first two guards that were knocked out by the scarred bandit, "as always, the only thing you contribute around here is targets of interest and replacing all of my clips with non-lethal rounds!"

"Unless you want your name to be remembered as most notorious and wanted woman, instead of an appraised hero who's helping the world out, then you can feel free to do these heists on your own," Yamcha spoke firmly, as he looked over the armored crate resting against the forklift.

"We give away ninety five percent of the bounties from those heists. NINETY FIVE PERCENT! Do you realize how big of a mansion we could be living in if you weren't such a soft-hearted, half-assed, lazy crook?!" Launch stamped her foot in a fit of rage.

"Most of these heists wouldn't go so well without my intuition, my skills, and my power. The small percentage has amounted to a small fortune over the years, so I don't think you should be complaining, and just enjoy whatever we come across," Yamcha waved dismissively at Launch, as he rubbed his hand over the armored casing that held whatever was the items being delivered. Something was amiss, and he got the vibe from immediately engaging these guys. Despite them being as easy to take down as any other security guard, they were packing serious firepower for what they were supposed to be, "Launch, didn't you say this was a government operation?!"

"Yeah, its supposed to be," Launch sighed heavily, turning to regard the cleanly sliced weapons in front of her, nudging them with her boots, "but this looks way too pricey for ordinary military or security personnel to be using. The info SAID it was government, but maybe they misread the aerial pictures they took. Mercenary perhaps?"

"Can't be," Maron spoke pointedly, her voice adopting a much more sage tone, as she observed the writhing guards with keen interest, "they were obviously skilled to take on any ordinary threat. We're one of the few people who could possible take them on in a frontal assault. Whoever they are were hired by an organization to protect their merchandise."

"Where's it going is what I'd like to know," Launch huffed as she planted her hands on her hips, looking over at the parked semi-truck, still loaded with armored crates, but with enough room for people stand around it from within, "the only area of civilization around here is thirty five miles northeast of us, in Baseru City, and the Western Capital City just fifty miles away."

"Who could be influential enough to keep an operation of this scale in the dark?" Yamcha asked curiously, hauling the crate over his shoulder, and floated over to Launch's direction, landing next to her with Maron hopping next to his side.

"It looks almost next generation type seals too. I think this is the type of container that shields its contents from both unwanted intrusion and from fallout. Best not open it up the rough way," Launch examined, brushing her hands over the keypad and the series of delicate locks sealing the contents within the dark green case, feeling the intricacy of its craft, "better take a look at it."

"We should take the truck. Its already loaded with all of the toys inside of it," Maron suggested with a nonchalant wave towards the large Semi-Truck, filled with the majority of the crates from the plane.

"Good thinking, Maron," Yamcha complimented her with a smile and a thumb's up.

Maron giggled with glee, as she skipped over and kissed his cheek chastely, "Thanks, Yammy-poo!"

"Anytime, Maron-pie!" Yamcha winked back at her, causing her to squeal happily.

Rolling her eyes, Launch walked over to the jeep, and pressed the interior button next to the keyhole. Within an instant, all contents and the vehicle itself collapsed within a puff of smoke into a small capsule, allowing Launch to deposit it into her jacket pocket, "Alright, here's the plan. I'm going to take a look at what's inside that crate and any others I can, while Yamcha drives with Maron towards the nearest highway."

"Where are we supposed to go, oh fearless leader?" Yamcha spoke sarcastically, twirling the crate around his arm, before allowing it to rest fully on his right shoulder.

"We're heading to West City. Something's fishy about this operation, and if this is some kind of tech we don't recognize, I think its best if that Briefs chick took a look over it, see what its worth," Launch explained pointedly, as she crossed her arms over her chest, "plus, its best not to linger here too long. Who knows when they send a response team or a helicopter to pursue us?"

"Right," Yamcha nodded with understanding, "it'd also be good to identify the manufacturer, so we can stop or discover the reason for its make. Its curious to find about an organization with advanced tech we don't know about. Especially if it isn't from space..."

"Cause aliens get all the shiny stuff, right?" Maron quipped.

"Yes, Maron. Aliens always get the cool, shiny stuff," Launch sighed with a smile, finding humor in her statement.

"Oooooooooh," Maron's eyes got all big and shiny, as she spoke her mind with cupped hands below her chin, "can we go into space sometime?! I want to rob a Space Casino sometime, and then go get a Space Smoothy!"

"One of these days, Maron," Launch chuckled as she walked towards the truck with Yamcha, "we just might get that chance..."

* * *

**30 Minutes Later...**

"Damn," the voice of a new arrival spoke crisply. Having just touched down after a free-falling leap onto the semi-circle parking lot of the airfield, the man looked over the scene with disdain. His single grey iris dilated, as he saw the truck was gone and noted that most, if not all of the guards surrounding the plane were badly injured or knocked unconscious, "looks like I got here a bit too late."

"H-Hey...you," one of the guards, nearest to his feet reached out in terrible pain, "c-can you get me some help? I-I think my ribs could be broke...ah...ah...hell!"

Looking up at him, the guard suddenly realized his mistake in garnering his attention. The man had a black sash tied around his head, creating a makeshift eyepatch over what looked like a vaguely implied scarred left eye. His high-collared black coat had a hint of glittering flak armor within, overlapping the chain-mail woven breastplate, vambraces, shin guards and cuirass enrapturing his person. What made him especially threatening, was the constant left handed grip on the scabbard of an elaborately designed black handled katana.

"Y-You're one of those...agents...!" The guard spoke in a ghastly tone of horrified recognition.

"If you value your life, you will tell me exactly what happened," the swordsman asked with an impassive tone, his eye observing him coldly, as if the guard was nothing different than an asphyxiating fish out of water, "now."

"W-We were hit hard. Figuratively and literally," the guard emphasized with a wave of his hand at the pile of unconscious and writhing bodies, "before it all went to Hell...one of the guys said they were...were...the Three Star Bandits!"

"Go on," the Agent uttered in a demanding tone.

"A-And they just took all of the crates packed up and left! I-It seemed like no big deal to them, but it sounded like they were misinformed about this place. As if someone spied on us ahead of time, and thought we were government personnel," the guard continued.

"They took all of the merchandise?" The man asked in an almost disbelieving tone.

"Y-Yeah! They just took it and left, not but a half hour ago, heading north!" The guard pointed towards the tracks, obviously leading out of the depression of dirt that the airfield was comprised of, and towards the makeshift highway, "I-I think they're heading towards West City's highway!"

The man suddenly went silent, processing all of the information accordingly. Turning his back on the rasping, ground prone guard, he raised his right forefingers to tap against his temple, and immediately began to speak through his mind.

"_Kyoshou-sama, we have a situation,_" he began.

"_What is it, Edge?_" Kyoshou responded with a steady tone.

"_Your suspicions were correct. The sensations within the airfield were justified as the use of Ki, and martial combat had ensued. All of the guards are incapacitated and subdued, and the merchandise is currently en route to West City,_" Edge continued, narrowing his one eye as he finished, "the Three Star Bandits were involved, and are the ones responsible."

"_I see,_" Kyoshou responded coolly.

"_Your orders, Taichou?_" Edge asked respectfully.

"_Pursue them and retrieve the merchandise. I want it intact, Edge. I don't care what you do to these bandits. Killing them is preferable,_" Kyoshou responded nonchalantly.

"_Understood,_" Edge nodded in emphasis, "_what about the airfield and the plane?_"

"_Disposable,_" Kyoshou spoke in a cold manner, "_I don't want any witnesses left behind. I also rather not have potential authorities stumbling upon these failures and interrogating them._"

"_Got it,_" Edge finished, cutting his telepathic link by lowering his right hand to his side. He began walking up the top of the depression, leaving the guard behind, calling out to stare at his backside.

As he stood atop the hillside, Edge thumbed his sword free, and uttered lowly, "7th Ash Dance," turning on his heel, he grasped the hilt of his sword and unsheathed it in one fluid motion, and swung it towards the horizon that made up the airfield, "**Kaimetsu**!"

What happened was near instantaneous.

A wave of distorting wind emanated from the blade's edge, before accelerating out within a mass of blue, electrifying visual force. It spread like wildfire, and soon was an entire kilometer long and fifty meters high. The wave of crackling and disorienting energy flew forth, and tore everything into dust. All the bodies, the debris, the field, and even the plane all were annihilated within a single touch of the force that was flown into a wave of dust that curled the entire landscape.

As the event ended, a steaming carved valley had been thrust out, ending at the distant beachhead, causing a sudden flooding of the sandy graveyard. Within minutes, the ditch would be flooded, and the entirety of the landscape used for transporting high technological equipment would be forgotten. Just as Edge wanted it to be.

With a pronounced sheathing motion, Edge turned his eye towards the horizon. Focusing his energy to the surface, he could feel the faint signatures of three signatures, obviously the bandits, heading due north. With a brief inhale, and exhale, Edge reared his left foot back as he readied to pursue. With a blast of blue energy from his heels, he found himself skirting across the desert terrain, and accelerating at incredible speeds to catch up to his prey.

"You may run, bandits, but know that the Edge will always catch up to you," Edge spoke lowly in a foreboding manner, as his eye glared towards the horizon, his feet strafing the sand, causing it to turn into glass particles, as he raced to retrieve what had been stolen.

* * *

"S-Stupid lock!" Launch growled, sitting near the back of the sealed truck, as she tried using monkey wrenches on each of the metallic clasps, holding it to place, "why don't you open?!"

She had been at it for the last half hour, ever since they took the road. Despite her insistence of handling the crate's unlocking, she now wished they at least used their swords to cut the exterior locks. She had already went through two hammers, a metal-cutting saw, and even a pair of brass knuckles, but nothing seemed to make a dent.

"AAAAH!" Launch tossed the monkey wrench against the truck in frustration, pulling at her blonde hair, "stupid crate! STUPID STUPID STUPID!"

Having attached radio comms over their ears to maintain contact, due to the thick plating of the semi-truck's cargo hold, Launch could irritably hear the inane chatter coming from the driver and passenger seats. Namely, Yamcha and Maron's prattling.

"You having trouble, Launch?" Yamcha asked in a curious tone, though obviously, trying to hide the smugness from it.

"No, not at all," Launch spoke snarkily, placing a faceplate over her face as she readied a blowtorch, "I just like breaking tools on such mundane locks! Just peachy over here!"

"Are there real peaches back there?!" Maron asked with a star-struck expression.

"NO, Maron! There aren't any!" Launch shouted from within his helm, comically muffling her retort through the speaker as she began cutting away at the locks with her blowtorch.

"Oh poo!" Maron pouted, crossing her arms as she looked back at the rear view mirror. What she saw, however, caused her eyes to widen, "uh...problem! PROBLEM TIME!"

"What is it Ma-" Yamcha began to ask, when he suddenly heard the shockwave slam across the truck, rattling it, as well as the significant drop of life within the direction they were leaving. Looking at his own mirror, he saw what could be seen as a rising wave of dust flowing up into the sky, that looked similar to a pillar of smoke, "what the hell happened? We didn't leave any gasoline laying around, did we?!"

"I didn't kill anybody, if that's what you're asking!" Launch quipped irritably.

"It wasn't an accident," Maron's eyes widened, as she unbuckled her seat and stuck her head out of the door, her eyes peering at something approaching from the distance, "that was a sword technique!"

"H-How do you know that?!" Yamcha asked nervously, feeling alarmed by how serious his girlfriend was acting.

Hopping back in, Maron thumbed back towards the window, "Because I see an angry swordsman heading towards us with a sword on his hip."

"What kind of eyes do you have? Are you part eagle?!" Yamcha asked incredulously.

"Hmmmm," Maron tapped her chin thoughtfully, before quipping back with a gleeful grin, "I might be!"

Turning his head around to look out the door for himself, he saw a brilliant azure light billowing a large mound of sand. It seemed to cut a trench in its path, as it rapidly approached their direction, "Oh crap baskets! Launch! We have a seriously pissed off samurai heading for us on foot and gaining! I'm going to hand the wheel over to Maron while I take care of-"

"No, you stay," Maron spoke pointedly, her eyes narrowing with seriousness, as she climbed out of the truck and rested her feet on the window frame of the door, "you're good, but he's better. I'll handle this, you keep driving."

"Maron? Hey, wait!" Yamcha reached out, but was unable to stop Maron from exiting, disappearing to somersault to the roof of the semi-truck's cargo floor, "dammit!"

"She's serious, isn't she?" Launch spoke with bewilderment, shaking her head as she continued to carve her way through the crater's locks with the blowtorch, "leave her be, Yamcha and keep your eyes on the road. When Maron says jump, you jump!"

"Can't believe I've been turned into the driver when some serious action is out the door!" Yamcha complained, as he glared at the windshield, pressing his foot on the pedal to speed up as fast as he could, "you better win this, Maron!"

* * *

**C-CLICK-POOF!** With a single click of a capsule, Maron tossed up the container and allowed it to release its contents with a single explosion of purple smoke. Dropping into her hand was a jewel-crest, brass guard katana, gripped in her right hand firmly. Her eyes glared at the rapidly approaching enemy, as her hair flourished in the wind as the truck continued to speed northward, mentally prepared for her battle.

As Edge coasted along the desert, he saw the truck, filled to the brim with the merchandise he desired. But what greeted him was a sword-toting woman, with brilliant blue locks flowing within the wind and a keen stare that locked onto his form with cool confidence and menace. The very sight intrigued him, and tantalized his warrior spirit to engage her in combat.

With a swift jump, the excess force smashing a good twenty meters of earth behind his wake, Edge flipped head over shoulders to land a good five meters away from Maron's position.

As he rose to stand, he slowly unsheathed his blade, purposely locking his eye upon hers, "Your stance seems eerily nostalgic. Who trained you?"

"Who trained you?" Maron quipped back, raising her blade to point directly towards Edge.

Sighing, Edge gripped his sword with both hands, spreading his feet in preparation, "So that's how its going to be, hm?"

"Its a sign of good courtesy to introduce one self before asking questions," Maron responded back, not yielding her position in the face of Edge's stance change.

"The only courtesy I'm giving you is a warrior's death, girl," Edge spoke impassively, his grey eye coldly staring at her with dispassion, "only fools would give up their names to the enemy. That'd only matter if they were to live to see another day."

"I don't want to kill you, though," Maron spoke back pointedly, her voice smooth and composed, not in the least intimidated.

"Too bad for you," Edge murmured, suddenly leaping forward as he slashed diagonally towards her, "_**but I do!**_"

Maron reaction time was immediate. During mid-way of the slash's movement, she pivoted her body around elegantly on her right foot, spinning around to completely avoid the incoming slash. The force of the slash cut a geyser of pressurized air, tearing a good gouge into the horizon's landscape, and super-heating the grains of sand into glass shards.

Using the initiative of her strafing dodge, Maron swung her own blade horizontally to attack his blind sight.

Edge bent his upper body forward, twisting around to duck underneath the sword swing, and aim a direct two-handed lunge towards her midriff. The blade wouldn't reach its target, as Maron inverted her blade's position and slammed the pommel of her sword to redirect the thrust, and the immense force thrust towards her, carving a trench within the desert sands.

**WHAM!** Edge felt his eyes bulge as a precise roundhouse kick landed upon his armored chest, causing him to skid a good meter across the roof of the semi-truck's flooring. As Maron retracted her foot, Edge was thankful he was wearing his armor. The force implemented from the single kick was enough to make even his durable body lose its breath for a second.

"You're stronger than you look, girl," Edge spoke complimentary, relaxing his stance to hold the sword with a single hand, as opposed to two, "you seemed educated enough to know how to handle swordsmen of exceptional prowess. I ask again, who was your master?"

"You wouldn't know them. None remain of whom taught me the art of swordsmanship and the ways of combat," Maron answered pointedly, her eyes staring vividly impassive back at Edge's equally detached stare.

"A shame that you have to join them, then," Edge spoke half-heartedly, as he bent his chest forward, squatting his legs apart, "what a waste of a fine legacy!"

Edge charged again, and this time, attacked with a much higher grade of intensity. A number of thrusts and slashes tore through the air from his blade, throwing vicious fissures across the surface of the semi-truck, causing it to buckle and quake with intensity. This unfortunately caused the truck to unintentionally veer left and right, and the interior of the cargo bay of the truck to rattle and shake violently.

"The Hell is going on up there?! Is someone tap-dancing with anvils tied to their feet up there?!" Launch shouted up at the top of the truck, struggling to keep her bearing as she used an oversized crowbar on the front of the sealed crate, "I could use a bit more coordination, Yamcha!"

"Stop complaining and keep at it! Its hard enough to drive on off-road roads as it is, I don't need you whining about you getting car sick from this," Yamcha retorted back, desperately trying to keep atop the top of the make-shift road and not steer off into one of the many rising and falling dunes surrounding them, "Maron's taking the full brunt of whoever's wanting the merchandise back. If we get one of them open, maybe we can use it against him."

"It'd be nice if all armored crates carried RPG's or Mobile Nukes, wouldn't it?!" Launch chuckled dryly, pushing her back into the crowbar as hard as she could.

Despite the ferocity to Edge's attacks, his eye stared with disbelief at what he was seeing. Maron's body seemed to be moving in a blur, as she deftly weaved her whole body away from the flow and path of each attack. Her moves were as limber as water, but had a solid force of a strengthened warrior, able to react accordingly while keeping balance atop the wobbling and weaving truck.

"_How could I have not met such an individual of astonishing skill? She's evading all of my attacks while maintaining her footing with no hint of clumsiness or loss of momentum,_" Edge admired with surprise, even as he continued to hammer at her defenses, keeping her from dishing out her own offensive, "_I can't hold back anything against her, or she'll force me off the truck! Forgive me, Kyoshou-sama, for I must use the Ash Dances in order to fulfill the latter goal!_"

Edge then pulled back, narrowly evading a blade slash to his head. Even as he backed up to the edge of the passenger side of the box's roof, he felt a trickle of blood slide down from the bridge of his nose, as a small gash appeared where her sword's current connected.

"3rd Ash Dance," Edge whispered, bringing about his blade's guard to rest invertedly next to his right cheek, as the sword took a subtle orange glow, as steam rose from around its metallic surface. Then, he lunged forth, his body moving within such swift momentum, that Maron forced herself to bring her blade up to guard the incoming blade thrust.

Edge's blade connected with the guard point of Maron's, scraping forth with an array of bright sparks. But something else happened, that threw off her guard, the moment she saw Edge's lips move, "**Jigoku Ken!**"

**SHEOW-BOOM!** Within an instant, Edge swung his blade against Maron's, releasing a geyser of flames, pushing forth to envelop and consume Maron's body as it spread across the entire width of the semi-truck's roof.

And when the fire dissipated, there was nothing. No mortally wounded enemy, no barely scathed superior warrior, and no sign of life. All that remained was the distinct clattering of the heavy weighted katana that was within Maron's possession, just mere moments before the geyser of superheated tongues was unleashed on her person.

For Yamcha especially, he didn't feel anything at all. And with the resounding, deafening silence following that deafening explosion. One reason or another, without any witness or explanation, Maron was gone and soundly defeated.

"MARON!" Yamcha shouted aloud with apparent fear, as he felt her signature drop to nothing, as the flames billowed forth from their enemy's blade.

"Yamcha? What the Hell happened?! It just got real hot in here all of a sudden," Launch asked with worry, now using her bare hands to lift the crate off what's left of its hinges.

"B-Bastard!" Yamcha snarled, his eyes glaring forward as he desperately tried to feel her life presence, but failing at that. Tears began crawling down his cheeks, in sync with throbbing veins rushing across his browline and his left arm. Raising it upwards, crackles of bio-electricity danced around his finger tips as he began to conjure energy for a counterattack, "this isn't over yet...!"

Edge, for the meanwhile, had his eye open wide with surprise, to see nothing remained of his enemy other than the super-heated blade clanking near his feet.

Granted it was a lethal technique, he never imagined that it would consume her so swiftly. Was she too lax in her confidence, or was she not as skilled as he took her for? Regardless, he couldn't feel her presence, and he didn't see her body along the road or the desert landscape.

"One down," He murmured as he turned to face front of the truck, "two to-"

**WHAM!** "GUH?!" Having not the chance to advance, he felt something hot and hard strike his left side, nearly barreling him off the truck entirely. Before he could have a moment's respite, the yellow ball of energy retracted from his person and swung around to slam into his gut. The force itself made Maron's kick pale in comparison, and he swore he heard the metal bindings of his breastplate groan in protest against the projectile.

"I'm going to make you pay!" Yamcha shouted from the driver seat, using the mirror to give him a good estimated view of where the swordsman was, while using his senses to calculate the trajectory for his Spirit Ball's path, "TAKE THIS!"

Edge's eye narrowed, as he placed a foot back and solidified his stance. With a single swipe of his blade, he cut the projectile in half, as he ducked beneath the two spiraling fragments of energy that flew by him. But to his surprise, he swung around and found two smaller energy balls to speed towards him, colliding with his sword's guard, keeping him on the defensive.

"ENOUGH!" Edge shouted out, deflecting both spheres back with a thrust, following up with a dramatic clap of the flat end of his blade onto the truck. What transpired next caused everyone present to hold their ears, as the very vibrations ushered from the violently vibrating semi-truck dissipated the energies entirely, and disabled any measure of control over them.

"D-Dammit!" Yamcha swore, barely able to keep the wheel steady from the now throbbing headache he had.

"FREAKING FANTASTIC, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Launch screamed within the truck, as the vibrating rang from within the expansive space of the cargo bay. It caused her to cover her ears, as she felt her whole being writhe and buckle with pain, being within such a contained space with little ventilation from the violent vibrations ringing within the truck.

However, something also happened within that instant.

**B-B-BEEEEEEP-CLICK!** All of the crates unlocked, free of the complex and difficult lock system holding them into place. Even the one she felt was nearly unlocked, clicked and flew open.

A few moments of dumbfound silence ensued, as Launch twitched frustration and unbelieving rage. Then, she shouted at the top of her lungs at the roof of the semi-truck, "Oh gee, thanks! LIKE I ASKED FOR YOUR HELP TO BEGIN WITH, JERK!"

Edge walked purposely forward, stopping only when he was a handful of meters away from the main part of the vehicle's driver side. His eye narrowed with distinct prejudice, as he pulled his blade back, using his left palm to steady it like a bow to an arrow, "I won't take any chances with you, Yamcha of the Z Warriors, Master of Okami-ken. I'll risk damaging the merchandise if I can take you out of the equation."

Yamcha's blood froze. For the first time, he just realized this person wasn't merely coming after a bunch of robbers. He knew who he was, and most importantly, the technique he used that one day against Tien and Krillin. He could feel his heart pounding, but he dare not move, or else leave Launch to the same fate as Maron had befell to this fierce enemy. But if he took the shot, would he survive?!

Meanwhile, within the cargo section of the truck, Maron had looked at a pair of items within the crate immediately in front of her.

As Launch picked up a strange pair of gauntlets, she furrowed her brows at them. They had golden plating, and an exterior retractable partition that slid over the knuckles. Touching the material's interior, she saw that it could extend all the way up to the shoulder, making it a snug fit for the wearer.

Shrugging, she muttered, "The Hell with it!" as she began place them on her hands, and began to prime the power source. Almost within an instant, the armor slid up underneath her sleeves, forming an almost second, and surprisingly comfortable metallic skin. As the gloves fully primed, she heard a distinct click, as the plating over the gloves slid back, revealing a pair of white-hot glowing pair of gauntlets where her hands were sheathed within, "oh...my...money!"

"6th Ash Dance," Edge uttered aloud, as a faint trace of Ki filled within the edge of his blade, causing it to glow a divine white light.

As Launch flexed and smiled at her new toys, she heard faint tapping sounds come from her left, trailing up the side of the truck too briefly for her to recognize.

"**Enjou Tengai!**" Edge thrust his white-hot blade forward, aiming to end the life of Yamcha, and take one of the Z Warriors out of the equation.

**CLANG!** However, his blade would only go halfway, before being jerked violently to the horizon on his right. He didn't have time to see what caused it, as a stream of light ejected from the tip of his sword, and cut a swathe across the proximate desert landscape, and beyond everyone's visual scope. What followed the light's projection however, was something entirely different.

Almost within a heartbeat later, all along the path of the light's gouging path emited a voluminous, expanding gait of orange-white flames. The explosion rocked the very crust of the planet, as it singlehandedly devoured the sand and streaks upwards towards the heavens, creating a visual blinding display of terrifying explosive power.

Yamcha's eyes widened with disbelief at what he saw, knowing it came from the enemy. He hardly felt a real volume of Ki placed into the blade's thrust, and from what he saw, created a large horizon of flames that continued to billow upwards, and would soon leave nothing short of a meteor-sized crater behind. With chattering teeth he looked back to the road, desperately trying to keep it from swerving off to the opposite side due to the powerful shockwaves that collided against its right flank, as he tried to rationalize just how powerful this enemy was.

"That was hardly even an ounce of energy he exerted. Here I thought only monsters could produce that kind of energy, and he's yet to even work up any volume that Vegeta or Piccolo can. Just what is this guy's secret?!" He shook his head, trying not to tremble at how close to death he was. With a ping of realization, he felt a distinct and memorable pulse of energy emanate near where his enemy was, causing him to smile with relief, "M-Maron!"

Edge looked over with an aghast visage, as he saw Maron, alive and in the flesh. She was bent down in a squatted stance, her left hand allowing her to bend forward, allowing her right hand to extend the fallen blade that Edge had left unattended. The position she made contact with his blade, suggests to Edge that she shoved its edge precisely into the flat left flank of his own weapon to derail the course of its attack, right at the precise moment of execution. .

Leaping back a few meters, Edge regarded his enemy with newfound respect, raising his blade in a guarded stance, "I let my guard down and yet, you chose to derail an attack when you could have dismembered me or killed me in an instant? Your soft actions are going to truly get killed. Although, mysteriously enough, you appeared to have only been slightly marred by my Jigoku Ken."

Indeed Maron's black-&-red jacket covering her black tank top, jean shorts and skin had only been lightly grazed by the extreme heat. In fact, there was only a hint of scalding along her arms, and no where else, given the fact she had willingly leaped away from the incoming gout of fire heading towards her but a minute ago, hanging onto the back of the truck by some means unknown to him. Her sword had long since defused of its superheated properties from its collision, and was free for her to grasp without any marring to her hands.

"You did something different, didn't you?" Edge questioned, still keeping his guard up as his eye peered sharply at her stoic eyes, "you didn't simply mask your energy. My master whom taught me the arts of killing had given me the innate ability to even feel the distortions of fighters who mask their presence. But you didn't do that, did you? You somehow played dead. There's no other explanation for that, as bizarre as it sounds. Am I wrong?"

Maron stared back silently, not giving anything way, nor was she denying any of his analyzations. Though there was a distinct venomous glare within her blue eyes that made them seem a tad darker. If Edge didn't know any better, his attack upon Yamcha might've been what got her so worked up.

With a sigh, Edge gripped the handle of his weapon as he shuffled forward, "I guess you're not going to give anything about yourself for free, are you? I should've expected as much-"

"I was wrong," Maron spoke lowly, her eyes looking down towards the semi-truck's roof flooring, "I can't fight you without the desire to kill you. Your skill is beyond those measures now."

Swinging her blade slowly to rise above her head, and face in a diagonal arc before herself, allowing her hand to hover beside her left hip. Her breathing slowed and deepened, her grip relaxed on the blade and her body began to soften and release all tension within her.

What happened next was both daunting and ominous.

All at once, Yamcha, Launch, and Edge all felt a wave of cold, constricting atmosphere drop upon them. Any light they had to offer seemed to dim, and a rise of blackness seem to emanate around the truck, and the proximity around it for a good twenty meters. If anyone was watching from the outside, it would appear as if a blot of darkness was move across the bright, desert road.

"M-Maron's pissed!" Yamcha uttered lowly, gulping with terror as he had felt this kind of sensation only on rare occasions during his training with her.

Launch could only rely on the artificial heat emanating from her strange armored gauntlets, to keep her teeth from chattering at the eerily damning sensation washing over her skin. She, like Yamcha, had only witnessed this kind of sensation and for herself in particular, only saw it happen once. She wished never to be around her when it would happen again, despite the given circumstance.

Edge, being the nearest to her, could only feel his own blood grow cold and his spine tingle with foreign fear. It was as if he was staring at a demon, and was basking in an aura that seemed to suck the life out of everything around it. The sensation was both terrifying and elating, as he had never fought someone of this caliber or this strong. That and the pressure she seemed to exert...was eerily familiar to him...

Then, he saw her move.

It felt as if he was moving heavy lead weights within his own arms, but somehow managed to swing his blade up to meet the one-handed strike.

**KRAK-KOOM!** Much to his surprise, the sheer ferocity of her attack caused white lightning to burst between their connecting swords, and shear through the air with a deafening thunderclap of force that rattled the foundation beneath them.

He felt his knees buckle under the overwhelming power behind it, and sensed no energy rise behind it, but only felt the ominous darkness that clouded his senses, suffocated his skin, and weighed his muscles. That, and his perception of her was being less and less like a blue haired vixen and more like a black-haired demoness, swinging a weapon that might as well been a scythe of the reaper himself.

Again and again, he felt himself pushed to the brink of his limits, as his energy pushed to the surface in a bright aura that was smothered by the blackness surrounding him. Lightning coursed between their weapons, as excess force rattled the truck and caused fissures of energy to dance around the sand, glassing the grains within impact due to its intense temperatures flaring.

"I-I can't take much more of this!" Edge thought within a panic, his brow caked in sweat, mingling with the blood that ran freely from his cut nose that dripped over his lips and chin throughout the intense collisions his body withstood, "I-I have...to use...the...7th...Dance!"

Backpedaling away with what speed he could muster, he appeared only a meter away from the edge of the truck's posterior flooring. Sheathing his blade most of the way, he settled into his given stance, and would unleash the power to erase her existence. She looked calm and unworried, glaring back with the blazing red eyes of a beast looking for blood.

Disturbing him to no end, Edge panicked irrationally, and began drawing his blade to initiate as wide of a berth for his weapon's expansive reach, "7th Ash Dance, Kaimetsu-"

Within the blink of an eye, Maron leaped forth and reached his person within a quarter mark of unsheathing his blade. Her sword thrust moved in slow motion to Edge, as he watched it slam into the gap between the metal and the scabbard, stopping it cold in its tracks. The force contained within the blade didn't stop from being released entirely.

**CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!** Edge watched mortified as his sword shattered from the power of his own technique, having stopped short of being released, spraying a stream of steam from the now empty sheathe where his blade-less hilt was once resting.

"I-It can't be-!" Edge began uttering, raising his blade's hilt up in utter disbelief as he had been disarmed so utterly. His disbelief wouldn't be the last thing on his mind though, as the blade swung away from his scabbard...

**SPLURCH!** ...and through his breastplate, slicing through it effortlessly, shredding the chainmail weave behind it and creating a deep gash across his chest. Stumbling back a few steps, he fell to his right knee, as his left arm covered his chest as he looked up at the woman who defeated him.

Strangely, however, the moment the blade had connected with his chest, the darkness was lifted. For some reason or another, Edge could feel himself breathe easier and could feel the pain stinging across his chest. But his vision was now clear, free of his paranoid filled perception, as he saw Maron looking down at him not with the malice and anger he felt earlier.

Instead, he saw...a smile?

"You're really good," Maron smiled with bubbling approval, as she rested her blade on her shoulder, squatting before him with no hidden intent other than friendliness towards the man. The very man who tried to kill her and her friends, she now extended a hand out towards her, "my name's Maron. Its good to finally meet you, Pirate Samurai Guy!"

"P-Pirate?" Edge muttered with disbelief, looking at her hand with utter confusion. He didn't know what words to utter and how to respond. Never before had he been defeated and humiliated so utterly, and then treated with respect regardless.

Below their feet, however...

"Thank goodness, Maron's defeated the hit man," Launch breathed easier as she spoke. Looking at her gauntlets, she raised her hand up towards the ceiling and flexed it a few times, "would've been nice if the show ended with a big bang, though..."

That was the last thought that crossed her mind, before the raging hot glove suddenly discharged a voluminous blast of flames upwards.

**VOOOOOOOOM!** "Eeeeeep!" Maron shrieked with comical terror, as she pulled her hand back just in time. What she saw was Edge being blown away by a blast of flames that erupted from within the truck and tore a gaping hole. While she saw that he didn't get utterly consumed in the fiery maw, she knew now that he'd be in a lot of pain, watching him impact in the distant desert landscape off the side of their road.

"L-L-Launch!" Maron pouted her lips and pounded her feet on top of the truck, glaring at the awestruck and smiling Launch, holding her gauntlet upwards with realization what just happened, "you big meanie! I was about to make a new friend!"

"Well, I guess I LAUNCHED him away from you before you got the chance," Launch said with a self-amused chuckle, raising her hands up with a beckoning gesture towards her glaring friend and then towards the driver side of the truck, "huh?! huh?! C'mon, that was golden!"

"Sorry, Launch, but that was bad. Your sense of humor is still as bad as your temper," Yamcha drolled on, facepalming as he sweatdropped comically from the poor joke she came up with.

"I DIDN'T ASK YOUR OPINION, LAZY-ASS!" Launch snarled, with comically sharp teeth, "now keep moving! We need to have miss panties take a look at this crap basket load of toys we got here. And why it was secretly transported in the first place."

"Fine fine, back to work then," Yamcha huffed, pushing on the pedal he didn't know he let up on.

"Uh...Launch," Maron spoke with a raise of her hand, as she looked down at her from the hole with big eyes, "I agree with Yammy-poo. Your jokes are kinda bad, Lunch-Lunch!"

Launch growled, pointing her gauntlet up at Maron, with a menacing hum emanating the air, "I'm about to LAUNCH you away, Maron, if you don't get back to your seat with Yamcha!"

"Whoop Whoop Whoop!" Maron comically tooted out as she somersaulted across the truck, collapsing her sword with a toss into a capsule, and tucking it back into the folds of her leather jacket. With a swift flip, she hopped back into her seat next to Yamcha, "Maron's back!~"

"Ha! You scared me for a moment there when you faked out like that," Yamcha chuckled nervously, though he couldn't restrain a smile back at her, "but then again, I should remember how hard it is to find you by energy sensing alone. Your Killing Intent sure did a number on that guy, didn't it?"

"It wasn't my Killing Intent, Yamcha," Maron whispered stoically, turning away from him as she contrastingly dropped into a quiet monotone, "but whoever he is, he's not an ordinary fighter."

"That's a given," Yamcha spoke seriously, as he focused on the road again, "he hardly used any amount of what I'd call impressive energy, and he caused more damage than what my pals are capable of. He also knew my name and the name of my technique. They're probably spying on us, and maybe all of the Z Warriors right now!"

"So we go to Bulma with the merchandise?" Maron asked curiously.

"I think Launch has the right idea," Yamcha nodded as he stared at the oncoming highway, leading towards West City, "besides, it seemed he was pretty anxious to take us out before we got to our destination. Professionals like them usually wait until they know where you live or where you're going, rather than strike unnecessarily. I don't think they want to reveal themselves in public just yet, whoever they are..."

Maron brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, quietly addressing aloud, "They might do now...after what happened today..."

Yamcha gritted his teeth. He knew they were in a precarious position, discovering what they had, and narrowly making it out in one piece. He could be endangering the entire city by bringing valuable tech into the heart of Capsule Corp. Even still, Yamcha stared ahead with a determined gaze, "Its a calculated risk we have to take, Maron."

* * *

**West City, Briefs Residence**

Vegeta reached for the off switch on the gravity machine, turning it off with a sigh. He had been at it for the past four hours, and yet, he felt unnaturally hungry for his shift. Grabbing a towel from the rack within the chamber, he began toweling himself off, realizing he'd need a shower the moment he'd get in the house. Grumbling he could only wonder how much stronger he truly gotten within the last year.

"_An entire year __my son from the future is gone_. And another Kakarot is gone," Vegeta realized bitterly, squeezing the towel as he exits from the chamber.

His eyes squinted as bright sunlight hits his retinas, making him shake his head as he walks begrudgingly towards the house, to scrounge up something from the fridge.

Considering how much work the past year he placed into his training, he had been asking Bulma less to cook meals and started to just find quick edible snacks to take with him instead as he worked out in the Gravity Chamber. He even started sleeping most of the year in the chamber instead of the warm, comfortable bed that tempted him to relax and slumber.

Due to the unmistakable evidence via Namekian ex guardian of Earth, he knew that Kakarot had been finding some way of training in a much more intense environment than what the lax one in Earth had to offer. That, coupled with the fact his son felt frustrated he couldn't keep up or find a purpose in fighting in the past, had been inadvertently pressured by his own father to go back, and not in good light.

Vegeta had hardly paid attention until recently how absent the life and warmth he had in the past year in comparison to before his sight returned to his rival. The one warrior, and outclassed low-life had beaten him in the most humiliating fashion. Time and again he missed opportunities to return the favor in a challenging light, but something always came up. With his death, he felt as if all hope had been robbed from him, and that he'd have to force to move on.

But then he showed up, right before his eyes, in some spirit conjured body. All thoughts of moving on had shifted in preparation, in the daunting task of keeping himself primed for the return his goal would come back to the world of the living. And with "Big" Trunks absent, he felt even more absent from all those who once loved or relied upon him.

"I don't know what I'm doing anymore," Vegeta muttered lowly as he reached the house, opening the door to acquire his sustenance. And for the first time, he was blatantly exposed to the vices of his wife.

His nose, enhanced beyond what normal humans could smell, scrunched up at the scent of old alcohol and smoke flowing through the house. His eyes watered slightly at the stinging sensation they made to his eyes, causing him to growl with irritation, "What the Hell is going on?! Is someone dead?!"

After following the trail of crumpled beer cans and cigarette buds, Vegeta found the source of all the mess and smoke-filled air. Bulma was sitting back on a chair, with a single beer can in her right hand, and a cigarette in the other. The rosy complexion on her face and the half-dead look in her eyes dictated to Vegeta she was slightly buzzed while feeling slightly sedated by the effects of the cigs.

What infuriated him most wasn't the act of intoxicants being used so blatantly in overdose, but the fact he was doing it right next to a whimpering Trunks.

"What the Hell is this all about, woman?!" Vegeta asked aloud in irritation, waving his hand at all the mess and the state she was in.

"Oh...hey Vegeta," Bulma spoke in a flat, monotone voice, sounding tired and frustrated herself, "finally decided to come in to recharge before getting back at it, huh? Well, help yourself to the fridge...its not like I cook here anymore."

"Bulma, what's wrong with you?" Vegeta asked pointedly, raising his hand as his eyes widened with incredulous anger, motioning towards the irritated toddler standing within the play pen, "why are you like this around Trunks? Do you not care what this is doing to him?!"

"Oh, he doesn't mind it," Bulma waved dismissively with her beer-grasping hand, looking over with a drunken smile at her child, "isn't that right, my little man?"

"No, momma! Smell ucky!" Trunks emphasized by covering his face and holding his nose.

Shrugging, Bulma returned her attention to a heavily breathing Vegeta, "Well, he may whine a little, but its not gonna hurt him, right?"

Turning away, Vegeta gritted his teeth as he spoke lowly, "I may not be the best father," he returned his gaze to look at Trunks' tear-eyed, irritated face, before meeting his wife's disgruntled visage, "but I know for a fact that stuff is going to skull-f*** him in the long run. If you know what's best for your..._our_...child, then you'll get rid of that stuff right now!"

Raising her left hand to take a long drag, Bulma exhaled blatantly, as she spoke with a venomous tone, "Make me!"

Vegeta didn't take long. Within a matter of seconds, all of the cans on the floor and the fresh ones were placed into his arms, crushed into a small wet metallic ball. Grasping the pack of cigarettes, he threw out both of the waste products and launched a ball of blue energy, turning it all into ash. Adding insult to injury, Vegeta snatched the beer can from her right hand and also threw it out, followed up with a blast of ki, and snuffed out her cigarette in her free hand.

Blinking a few moments, Bulma began to absorb just what happened. When she did, she stood to her feet and shouted at the top of her lungs, "WHAT THE HELL?! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!"

"I should be asking you that!" Vegeta pointed his finger at her with a dark glare displayed upon his visage, "why are you acting like a complete slob and infecting our son with intoxicants like that?!"

"Since when the Hell have you cared?!" Bulma laughed bitterly, placing her hands on her hips, "does smelling my breath and smelling my cigs bother you that much, Saiyan man?"

"You're drunk, woman!" Vegeta shouted with disdain.

Throwing up her hands up, Bulma began to tirade, "No shit I'm drunk! You know why? I haven't had a single moment of true peace and relaxation in over a year, thanks to you!"

"Do tell, Bulma, how this is all my fault," Vegeta laughed derisively, crossing his arms over his chest as a smirk of amusement crossed his lips.

"You're not here anymore, you're just eating our food! You don't bother to take an ounce of care in raising your own son, ever since the other kind and thoughtful one was most likely chased off because of you! All you do is train, train, eat, train, train, and eat! You don't sleep, and when you do, its not in bed with me anymore! Its as if any passion for doing anything outside of your stupid fixation with getting even with Goku has been sapped by seeing him just once! Soon, you'll not even remember our names, as the only name you remember is Kakarot. A name that shouldn't even matter to you anymore!" Bulma finished shouting, heaving with great exertion as she glared at him.

Vegeta stayed silent, only settling with glaring back at her. The tension was palpable, and he swore he could hear sparks from how much animosity was being thrust into the air between them. He then finished with a profound growl as he unfurled his arms and walked right up into her foul-smelling face, "What my goals are and what your mundane ones are, range in importance from the distance between the stars to this pathetic mud ball of a planet. You've never grew up with the expectation of inheriting the throne your father suspected you to get by birthright, and then have that, and your whole race wiped out. You were never spat upon by someone who believed to be on top of the world and disrespected everything you represented. And that insult has gone unwarranted long enough. The moment Kakarot returns, I WILL have my revenge," pointing his thumb at his chest with emphasis, "and I WILL not be stopped. Not by you, or my son, or anyone. This is my destiny, and you won't hold me back from it!"

"Well, I'm not sure as Hell stopping your obsessed, narcissistic, self-absorbed, immature, childish ambition, Vegeta!" Bulma spoke in a dry, flat tone, as she poked his chest with firm emphasis of her own, "you can have your petty vices, if you let me indulge in mine! Until then, don't even try lecturing me on what I should or shouldn't do, let alone parenting children!"

With a hiss, Vegeta turned on his heels and left Bulma in a huff. He blocked out the now apparent cries coming from Trunks' play pen, and the incredulous reality he now lived in.

Grasping the handle of the door, he had to restrain himself from pulling it off the door as he opened it. Walking outside, he journeyed over to the center of the lawn, his breaths practically growing ragged with bottled frustration and rage. Raising his gloved hands up and lower his face to look at them, he glowered as he barely could close them into fists.

Then, pulling them back, Vegeta howled loudly. The force that expelled from his lungs shook the foundation of the entire city block. Glass rattled, lawn ornaments cracked, and car alarms began sounding in fierce succession. By the time he stopped, all of the air had finally been released, and he felt his eyes close with some minute satisfaction.

Wrapping himself in an aura of blue-white Ki, Vegeta launched himself off the ground and into the sky, flying farther into the downtown area of West City, hoping to clear his head and find some way to figure things out.

Meanwhile...a figure stumbled out from behind the Gravity Chamber, distorting visually like static. As the cloaking unit disengaged, it was revealed that it was none other than the Inner Circle agent, Sky. Tapping her audio receiver, she didn't hear anything. With a sigh, she concluded that the force of Vegeta's shout alone caused her communications to be on the fritz, and even distort her stealth generator.

"No matter," Sky whispered, as a smile stretched across her face, "this is an opportunity I can't pass up..."

* * *

**Several hours later...**

Vegeta had taken time to fly around the skyline. He made sure to move fast enough to avoid being spotted by the paparazzi and the authorities, but slow enough he wouldn't leave the limits completely. The last thing his nerves needed was an abundance of useless attention from people he could care less about. Despite the given title he attained, he didn't value it as much as their inane praise.

However, his time spent flying around did allow him to clear his head.

He realized that he practically threw out all the current reservoir of beer and cigarettes Bulma had. It was common for any species to consume some form of intoxicants to feel at ease, especially when said consumer was feeling unstable or irrationally high strung. The more he thought about it, the more he started to miss the warm bed and the large feasts Bulma used to fix him.

With a sigh, he eventually worked his way to a nearby gas station, landing directly in front of the entrance. He startled a few of the passerbyers, as they gasped with recognition of who he was, but he paid no heed to them. He had a mission and he aimed to complete it before the end of the day. Entering the gas station through its automatic doors, he immediately went looking for the alcohol.

"Uh, hello sir," A rotund shaped man, clad in a white-red plaid shirt and a brown belted pair of jeans. His glasses showed a pair of aghast eyes when he looked at how defined, and how memorable the short man's figure was that entered, "V-V-Vegeta...the World Martial Arts Champion?!"

"Yes-yes, that's me," Vegeta answered without turning his head, looking for familiar labels. Despite his best efforts thus far, he was starting to have a hard time deciding what to get, "I'll be on my way shortly, so please contain your excitement."

"I-Is there something you're looking for in particular?" The clerk asked tentatively.

"I'm just here looking for the best brand of alcohol and cigarettes you humans possess," Vegeta sighed , turning around to look at the man from the small station's interior, crossing his arms, "something that could possibly impress a temperamental woman who can consume a high yield of any cheap brands you usually keep in stock."

For a few seconds, the clerk blinked awkwardly. It only took him a minute to decipher Vegeta's meaning, allowing him to smile, "Ohhhh, so you're trying to impress a lady friend, eh?"

Blushing slightly, Vegeta looked away from the clerk's now piercing gaze, "I guess you can say that..."

"Say no more!" The clerk spoke aloud with a much more relaxed and assured tone. Rubbing his hands together, he bent behind the counter and began shuffling boxes around, "I know I have it somewhere back here. Hmmm...now...where...are...AHA!"

Vegeta walked across the distance over to the counter, as the clerk produced pair of pristine items, recently dust-wiped by the man's own shirt.

"This is one of the oldest and finest wines I've gotten into my custody. Its a bit too rich for most folks, but if your woman likes 'em strong, I highly suggest this," the clerk hands Vegeta the bottle to his left hand. Its label was labeled _Ryuchi Vineyard Classic_,_ Year 731_. Liquid sloshed within the burgundy colored glass, with only a old cork sealing its top.

"Also, give her these," the clerk handed Vegeta a finely enamored cigar case, filled up to twelve within its entirety, "these cigars are much more potent and can guarantee to last longer. They're about as premium as you can get, and I'm pretty sure the smell will be less, eh, disturbing for those present around her."

Analyzing both items in his hands, Vegeta nodded with certainty, "Yes, these will do," turning his gaze back to the clerk, he nodded to him impassively in a faint sign of appreciation, "I thank you for your assistance. I regret to inform you that because my training gear lacks pockets, I don't have any funds to-"

"Its on the house," the clerk spoke without hesitation, placing his hands on the counter as he smiled with appreciation, "hell, if it wasn't for you, Cell would've vaporized all of us by now. Its the least I can do to help you out with your own problems, however in what humble way I can."

Vegeta had to soak in the importance of what was done. A man was willing to give the best of what he had behind the counter, something he wouldn't normally show to his customers, and for gratis. With an awkward bow of the head, Vegeta murmured a thank you as he left, only hearing a vague call to come by again should he require anything else.

As he jogged away, he began to contemplate on what he wanted to do once he got back home. Would he just shove them into her arms and hope that he would be accepted back into the home, and return to what passed as normalcy to begin with? Would he have to get on his knees, and swallow all sense of pride he had in himself as both as a man and a prince of noble blood?

As far as he knew, he hadn't had the faintest clue how to approach a woman, especially one as independent and vibrant as Bulma.

"Lost in your thoughts, Prince Vegeta?" A silk-laced voice spoke around the corner of the sidewalk he jogged past, stopping him cold in his tracks.

Looking over his shoulder, Vegeta's gaze was captivated. He had seen weirdly dressed women of Earth, of various forms of beauty, but this one stood out like a literal snowflake in the middle of a tarmac.

The woman had long, snow-white hair that draped down elegant shoulders, boasting a complexion similar to smooth marble. Her lips and eyes were silver, akin to her hair color and her attire's scheme, with a fur-laced collared cloak wrapped around her shoulders, revealing a sleeveless white top and billow-cuffed slacks, with no shoes adorned underneath.

The gaze she shined back, however, was what wrenched him back to reality. It was a gaze of pure adoration and focus, eerily giving him the creeps, only growing further as her smile spread across her immaculate face, and the musical voice bode nothing short of pure desire, "Perhaps, I can help alleviate your worries and embrace your deified body against mine?"

Shaking his head, Vegeta spoke coarsely as he turned his heels to adjust his direction around her, "Sorry, but I'm not into that kind of kinky stuff. Why don't you go away and stop laying hooker..."

"Back to the wench, then?" The woman asked with an upraised brow, causing him to stop once more. She cast a nonchalant glance of knowing at the bottle of wine and the cartridge of cigars, "aiming to please her with bribes so she could cook you a feast that you've started to yearn for?"

"That's none of your damned business!" Vegeta snarled at her, trying to keep his gait calm as he suddenly began to become very aware of her words and their hidden meanings.

"Come now. Surely someone of such eloquent tastes and divine strength deserves something much more worth your time?" The mysterious woman continued, now brushing an outstretched hand across his shoulder, rubbing the back of her hand against his cheek, "its not like you care about such insignificant pests such as them, do you?"

A violent swing of his arm sent her hand away from his skin, as he glowered in a demanding manner, "Who the Hell are you, and how do you know about my family?!"

"I know a great many things about you, Prince Vegeta," the woman continued, not seeming to be disturbed by his attitude towards her as she elaborated, "I know that you're a Saiyan, a Super Saiyan at that. One of the finest warriors within the Universe, and also an undisputed fighter of untold strength. The whole world acknowledges you as their savior, no matter how flawed you are upon the surface, recognizing the deifying presence you maintain by sheer existence. The knowing fear that you instill within them, knowing you could destroy the planet as easily as Cell. Just like you tried to do all those years ago, in search of the Dragon Balls, right?"

Vegeta felt his teeth grinding against each other with indignation. He felt his body shaking, as what he assumed was a harmless hooker was something akin to a deranged spy, who seemed to hold every chapter of his life in the palm of her hands. He could only dread what she was plotting, and why she approached him now of all times.

Sensing his confusion, the woman opened her arms in invitation, "I know this, because I adore your reputation as much as I revere you. Your power, your passion for battle, and your never ending quest to fulfill your desire to become the strongest of the Universe. I have watched you for some time. I've studied you, watched you train, and seen your incredible power. I too have an incredible power, and only wish that we use it together, along with the order I represent-"

"Woman, let me be very clear," Vegeta spoke in a level, threatening tone as he glared darkly at her, "I don't know what twisted mind game this is, but I am not buying any of it. You're sick in the head, and from the way you dress, you have an obsession with falsehoods that you've sought out from me. And this organization of yours you're working for to gain all this information? Tell them I decline any offers they have, for I don't desire anything. Approach me and I'll crush them, make them wish they had never crossed the likes of me OR my family! You hear me, you damned lunatic?! I'LL CRUSH YOU!"

It was at this point the woman's smile had retracted to an impassive expression, and her eyes grew very cold. A sudden billowing wind began to flow through the street, and the light began lessen as a shroud covered the skies. Within seconds, the entire skyline was blotted out by the largest, most enormous storm clouds, spreading forth and crackling ominously as the swirled overhead.

**KRAK-KOOM! **Violent thunderclaps ensued, as bright lightning streaked across the heavens, proclaiming the intensity of the storm.

Cars flipped over live leaves, glass began to shatter under the violent gale force winds, and the rain began to pelt the ground in endless sheets. The bleak atmosphere that projected from the female nemesis caused Vegeta alarm. To him, it felt as if the entire storm that manifested within minutes came from the focal point of ominous energy, caused his blood to boil and his smile to stretch across his face.

He knew at this point, crazy or not, this woman was strong.

"My name is Sky," the woman proclaimed ominously. Following her words, her eyes began to glow hallowed white hue. Her hands spread out around her in a mesmerizing dance, as she floated into the air above the Saiyan's head. Her body flourished vibrantly, as a eerily bright light projected from her body, matching the enormous pulse of energy that flowed high within sky above Vegeta, "and you've disappointed me. I came to anoint you as a god to join the heavens. But you've proven to be nothing more than a beetle, in the presence of the almighty heavens!"

* * *

**A/N**: That took longer than I'd like. .

Okay, just as an update, because of an employment situation I've attained in real life, these Chapters might take me around a week to post. If not, I will endeavor to do within the standard three days. I just wanted to give you the fans a heads up before you start wondering where I am and what I'm doing.

Summarizing the Chapter, I wanted to clarify a few things.

**1** - In order to better compile both the "Real" world and Dragon Ball Z's world, I've decided that this is how the system works. The large continent in which any of you Dragon Ball geeks are aware of is named **Ryuchi** (Lit Translation, "Dragon Land," or, "Dragon Country,") and resides within the Pacific Ocean, right about a little above the Hawaii Islands, in between Japan and the US, while being close to the tops of Russia and Alaska.

Financially speaking, the reason why Ryuchi is considered the "Center" of the world is due to it being the Capsule Corp HQ, making it a very financial center for the majority of the world in how technology advances with all inventions coming FROM Capsule Corp. That, and the World Martial Arts Tournaments are usually held regularly within its domain, so it attracts a lot of tourism, and most of the various areas of Ryuchi are independently wealthy or well-to-do.

Politically, the World still has their own Governments as you would know it. Ryuchi itself has mayors and political leaders that lead their various diverse areas of living that you've seen. But it happens to be the Capital of the "World Government" which is a better term of what I like to think of as a Parliamentary system that's a much more unified and advanced version of the UN or the EU, with the Head of this Government being Ryuchi's figurehead "King" this being King Furry.

So...with that out of the way, I will continue

**2** - The Three Star Bandits is a parody, heralding and praising the infamous TFS Parody group within the series named "Team Three Star".

**3** - Translations for Edge's Ash Dances are: (Kaimetsu = Annihilation ; Enjou Tengai = Blazing Horizon ; Jigoku Ken = Hell Blade)

I hope you like what I've done with the series thus far. If you have any questions, please relay them via PM and leave any comments, suggestions, and Reviews about the Chapter.

Until then, I'll see you guys on the next chapter of,**_ The Vegeta Chronicles!_**


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